Expendable Hearts
by FictionWriter91
Summary: In 2008, Lee meets Kate Macer in a bar. They keep in touch, and a few years later, he finds her broken after being used and threatened by hitman, Alejandro, so he brings her home. She wants to be an Expendable, and against his better judgment, Lee trains her. When she starts dating another Expendable, Lee has 2 choices: tell her how he feels, or let her go.
1. Prologue

**Yes, another story where I have managed to put the characters played by Emily Blunt and Jason Statham in the same place. Muahaha. Anyway, you don't have to have seen Sicario to read this story. Not really anyway. It's still a good movie, though. Happy reading!**

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**Prologue**

**2008**

Lee felt drained as he made his way to the bar. He just wanted to be alone with a drink for a bit. Sometimes he liked being anonymous in a bar watching people live their lives. After everything he'd experienced, he liked to see life happen, not death. Right now, he was trying to figure out who he was outside of being a mercenary. Barney thought he was nuts for thinking this, but Lee couldn't stop thinking about it. Who would he be if he had a different career? Would he still be Lee? Would he be less hardened to life? Would he be more sensitive? He sat down at the bar, putting in his drink order. Then he glanced around at everyone. He was envious sometimes of those who lived life simply and without a care in the world. Lee was always thinking about his recent kill. Did they have a family? A spouse? Did they have children? How had they ended up at the other end of Lee's gun/knife? What had made them choose that path in life?

"You look like your brain is going to blow up," a female voice said by his ear. Lee turned, startled, to look at the woman standing beside him. She took his breath away. She was glistening with a bit of sweat from dancing, her short, brown hair in curls around her face. Her smile was wide.

"Does it?" he asked, going along with her. She leaned in closer, her breath smelling like a fresh mint.

"A bar isn't the place to be lost in thought. That's usually done on a therapist's couch," she teased. Her British accent was lovely. Just like his.

"I must have missed that memo," Lee said, a smile growing on his face now.

"Another beer here," the woman said to the bartender, who nodded and reached for one. He slid it over to her, and she paid for it. She then turned to face Lee, taking a sip.

"You look like someone I know," she mused.

"Who's that?"

"I can't remember," she laughed. "It's just an observation anyway."

"Are you here alone?" Lee asked.

"Nope. My sister is over there," she pointed. "She insisted I come out and live a little. Apparently I'm too focused on my career."

"And what career is that?"

"Oh, I'm an FBI agent," she grinned.

"Really," Lee said.

"Yes! It's something I love doing. I like catching bad guys, you know."

"Hmm."

"You're not a bad guy, are you?" she asked, shaking her finger at him. "You're lucky, if you are. I'm off duty."

"I don't consider myself a bad guy," Lee answered.

"Well, what we think we are and who we are are different," she went on.

"Is that so?"

"I think so."

"You're clever," he teased.

"Come _on_," a second woman said, coming up to her and pulling on her arm. "You're missing out on the guy I got for you."

"I have a guy right here," Lee's new friend said, gesturing to him. The second woman looked him up and down.

"I have a hotter one," she insisted.

"Get out of here, you snob," Lee's friend chastised, pushing her away. The woman left, harrumphing about big mistakes. "Sorry. That was my sister."

"She seems nice," Lee commented. She laughed.

"She's annoying, but I still love her."

She toyed with her beer for a moment, not looking at him. Lee wanted to know what she was thinking. He suddenly wanted to know everything about her. She enchanted him.

"Your sister is trying to set you up then?" Lee asked, having to know.

"Urgh, no. She doesn't like the guy I'm dating," she sighed. "She thinks he is a twit. I think he's darling."

"Right," Lee nodded. His hopes fell. She was seeing someone. So much for that.

"We aren't serious," she said, reading his mind.

"You and the boyfriend?"

"We've been on three dates," she clarified. "We haven't really said what our status is yet."

"I see."

"Maybe I am looking for someone different," she said coyly.

"Different how?" Lee asked.

"I don't really know. I ramble when I drink," she sighed, setting down her now empty beer. She did not order another one. Lee was very aware of how close she was to him. He had this feeling that she would understand him, that his job would not scare her. He couldn't explain it.

"I kill people," he said suddenly, making her look at him.

"Excuse me?" she asked, surprised.

"I'm a mercenary. I work contracts. I have a team. I never ask questions. I just kill who I'm told to kill," he finished.

"Is that legal?" she questioned.

"I'm not really sure."

She surveyed him thoughtfully.

"Do these people you kill do bad things?"

"They do terrible things."

"Then I suppose I can live with it," she declared. "You're the guy who kills bad guys."

"You're the first woman I've told about what I do," he said seriously. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at him.

"I'm glad you can trust me," she responded. He had a very strong urge to kiss her. He was so taken with her that he forgot he was even in a bar. She smiled slowly as though she knew what he was thinking.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" she asked boldly. He wanted to. He really did. The only thing was that he wasn't like that.

"I don't do one night stands," he answered honestly.

"Really?"

"Really."

"That just makes me like you that much more," she told him. She put her hand over his, and he felt an electric jolt to his heart.

"I'm leaving tonight," he said. He hated that he was leaving. He wanted to stay if she lived here.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," she countered. "I'm just here visiting family."

"I guess this will just be one of those moments in life we think about and wonder what could have gone differently," Lee said.

"Perhaps in another time and place, we would have spent the night together," she nodded.

Lee smiled at her, and she removed her hand. She looked a bit disappointed, and he felt disappointed. He just liked and respected her too much to sleep with her and never see her again. He liked being in a relationship before getting intimate. Barney and the guys thought that was funny, but Lee took his relationships seriously.

"So who are you?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts. "At least tell me your name so I can dream about you and think about what could have been." He laughed.

"Lee Christmas," he answered.

"I love Christmas," she said. "It's a time of hope and love. I like it."

"And who are you?" he asked, fighting hard to keep his hands to himself. He was on the verge of breaking his rule. He had to get out of there before he did.

"Kate Macer," she answered. She pulled a napkin towards her and pulled a pen out of her purse. He watched her write down numbers. She slid it over to him when he was done.

"You can keep in touch with me," she told him. "Maybe we could be friends?"

"I'd like that," he smiled, taking it. Even her handwriting was lovely.

"Kate!" her sister shouted, impatient.

"I should get back to the madness," Kate sighed. "But it was really nice meeting you."

"You as well."

"Maybe we'll see each other again," she smiled.

"Maybe," he smiled back. He had a feeling he wouldn't see her again, but at least they could talk. She lingered a moment before turning to leave. He watched her walk away, and when she was back with her sister and the group of guys, she looked back at him. Lee felt that jolt again, and he made the decision to leave the bar before he marched over to her and picked her up to carry her away somewhere. He finished his drink and slipped his coat on. He felt her eyes on him the entire walk to the door, but he didn't look over at her. Then he was gone.

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**I hope you like it!**


	2. It's Not You, It's Me

**Okay, so I tweaked the prologue as some changes were needed. I found a bio on Kate Macer online, so I'm using it to help me with her character. Her family history will be made up, though, since they don't mention sibling names etc in the bio. I've gone over this chapter a thousand times making sure it's right, so I hope you guys enjoy it. **

**Thank you, GreenEyedSam, for your wonderful review! I hope you like this chapter just as much :)**

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**2013**

Lee opened his eyes to stare at his ceiling. For a moment, he had forgotten, but then it all came back.

_I don't love you anymore._

He pressed his fingers into his eyes, wondering just what had happened that made Lacy fall out of love with him. She knew about his job. She had said it didn't change anything. Then suddenly, she's done. He didn't understand.

_It's not you, it's me._

What the hell did that even mean anyway?

His phone chirped, making him turn his head to look at it. If it was Barney, he didn't think he was in the right frame of mind for a mission. It chirped again, though, making him groan and grab it. He had to answer the guy at least. He looked at the messages, a small smile forming on his face.

**Sorry if I woke you. I never know where you are in the world. Just thought I'd check in and say hey. It's been a while.**

Lee always appreciated her checking in. Her friendship meant a lot to him. He read her second message then.

**How's wedding planning going?**

He snorted. She had no idea. To be fair, though, the last time they had talked he and Lacy had been doing great.

**Hard to plan a wedding with no bride**, he wrote back. In seconds, he had a reply.

**What?! She left?! Are you serious?**

**As a heart attack.**

**I'm sorry, Lee.**

**All good. Better now than after the wedding.**

**If you need to talk, I'm here.**

**Thanks.**

Lee set his phone down then, knowing she would leave it at that and not push. He loved that about her. When he had met Kate Macer a few years ago at a bar in England, she had been visiting relatives, and he had been wandering Europe a bit trying to deal with thoughts of who he was and if he was doing the right thing. He had been quite taken by her at first, and not a day went by where he kicked himself for sticking to his stupid rule of no one night stands. He wondered if things would be different right now. Lee thought of her frequently, and he knew he shouldn't have since he was with someone else, but she would pop into his brain randomly and quickly that he never had the chance to stop them. He had never seen her again, but they kept in touch through texting. Barney used to tease him about his mystery girl. Lacy had been jealous and annoyed, so Lee had stopped talking to Kate as much. Kate had understood. She had gotten married herself anyway. To this day, her getting married still surprised him. His name was Evan, and he didn't like Kate talking to Lee either. Lee assumed as much anyway. It explained the longer distances between talks.

His phone went off again. This time it was Barney.

**Need a pal? Something to stab? Tool's got a new dart board up.**

Lee hovered his fingers over the keys, debating on how to respond. He really just wanted to be alone right now. He had told Barney the night before that Lacy had left. His friend had given him the space he had wanted. Lee appreciated that Barney was there for him, but he also knew Barney had never liked Lacy to begin with. The "I told you so" on his tongue must be driving him nuts.

**Rain check.**

**All right. I'm here.**

Lee set his phone down again and walked out to get something to eat. He hoped that eventually, the knife in his chest would be removed and he would feel better.

...

Kate reread the message from Lee.

**Hard to plan a wedding with no bride.**

Something hummed in the back of her brain at this. So Lee was single again. Why did that matter so much to her anyway? They had had a chance all those years ago, and they hadn't gone through with it. Yes, sometimes she regretted not insisting despite his no one night stand rule, but then again, would they have the same kind of friendship now if they had? Granted, he was a bit older than her (that was disclosed via texting), but that didn't bother her that much. She caught herself thinking about him at the most random of times too. Her sister, Emma, claimed she was secretly in love with him, but Kate argued she wasn't. After all, she was married to Evan, who she had met at the FBI and had just started dating right before meeting Lee. Her mind went back to the bar that night after Lee had left.

"I do not know what you see in him," Emma had said, wrinkling her nose. "He looks rough."

"He's very good looking. What are you talking about?" Kate had asked.

"Please," Emma had snorted. "You're blind."

"Maybe it's you who is blind," Kate had suggested, changing the subject then. Her sister had heard about Lee all the time after that, which led her to believe Kate was nuts about him, much to her distaste. They were just friends. She talked about her friends with other people. That was normal. She did think of Lee a lot, though. Maybe too much. Probably too much for a married woman.

"Earth to Kate," Reggie said, snapping his fingers in her face. "Let's go. We got a perp to deal with."

"Yup. Coming," Kate said, slipping her phone into her back pocket and following Reggie. There couldn't be any distractions in this job. She loved working for the FBI. She couldn't imagine doing anything different.

...

"Your guy is single?!" Emma exclaimed. Kate winced on the phone. Her sister had a very loud voice. Their other sister, Grace, on the other hand, was more mellow and quiet. Kate and Grace didn't talk very much since Grace was doing relief work with Red Cross around the world for victims of natural disasters. They saw each other maybe once a year. Emma, however, was back in England with her Mum and Dad, Oliver and Leah. They had moved back there over eight years ago. After the Incident.

"First of all, he's not my 'guy.' And secondly, what would you like me to do?" Kate countered. "He was engaged, Emma. He's not ready for a relationship. And did you forget that I'm married?!"

"How do you know he's not ready? And come on, I never liked Evan anyway. You and I both know he's cheating on you."

"Yes, you made that abundantly clear, and no, he isn't."

"He's a weasel."

"He's my husband."

"He'll be gone within the year, two at most," Emma predicted.

"Do you mind not talking like that?" Kate asked, annoyed. Something inside of her was beginning to crack.

"So if Lee showed up on your doorstep, you'd do nothing?" Emma asked.

"Emma, drop it," Kate ordered. She was cooking dinner with the phone in the crook of her neck. An unlit cigarette was dangling from her lips. She really wanted a smoke after talking to Emma. She loved her sister, but she could be a bit much sometimes.

"No, I won't drop it. You still like this guy! God only knows why," Emma added.

"I'm married, Em, so no, I don't like Lee that way," Kate argued. "And what is your deal with Lee anyway? You're always taking shots at him."

There was silence for a moment.

"Emma?" Kate prompted.

"He's too much like Liam," Emma finally said. "Even his name is similar. Lee. Liam. See what I mean?"

"I don't," Kate huffed, putting down the pot and grabbing the cigarette out of her mouth to stare at the wall across from her.

"He was SAS, like Liam."

"Emma..." Kate warned.

"He even squints his eyes the same."

"You're delusional," Kate said, annoyed.

"You have a complex."

"I do not!"

"How else can you explain why you're attracted to a guy who reminds you of Liam?"

"Stop it!" Kate shouted. "I'm married, and I do not have a complex. That's ridiculous. Lee does not remind me of Liam!" Emma was silent again, and Kate was shaking. She hated when Emma did this, compared Lee to Liam. It wasn't true at all.

"I should go," Emma said quietly. "The dogs."

"Yup. Bye," Kate responded, hanging up without another word. She looked over at the photo of her, Emma, Grace, and Liam the day he left to fight in the war. He had moved to England after high school because he wanted to be back where he came from, according to him. He had joined the SAS just before 2001. He died in 2005. She swallowed hard, calming her heart slowly and breathing in deeply. Then she went outside and lit her cigarette.

**A Few Days Later **

Lee was smiling down at his phone, which made Barney know exactly who he was talking to. He sucked on his cigar as he kept one hand on the wheel of the plane. They were heading out for work, so the others were in the back. Toll was enlightening them about some new thing he had learned in his therapy while Gunner and Caesar groaned in unison.

"Is that Mystery Girl?" Barney asked, not looking at Lee. He knew it was Kate. He just liked to tease Lee about it. He had heard all about the missed opportunity. It was why he knew Lee and Lacy would never work out. Lee was still hung up on Kate, not that he would admit it.

"She's not a mystery when you know who she is," Lee retorted. "And yes, it is. Not that it's any of your business."

"You should go see her," Barney suggested.

"No," Lee shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I just got out of a relationship. And she's married."

"I meant see her as a friend, but good to know where your head is at," Barney chuckled. Lee gave him an exasperated look.

"Stop trying to wordplay me."

"I'm not!"

Lee just snorted and looked out the window, feeling his phone vibrate again. He and Kate were talking about her recent job. She shared minimal information of course; it was more about how she was feeling about it. Without looking at Barney to know there was a dumb look on it, he checked the message.

"Oh yea," Barney said in the background as he saw Lee's face. "You're so hooked."

And of course, he was right, not that Lee would ever admit it. He had fallen for Kate back in 2008, but things never worked out. He had met Lacy not long after that, and she had married Evan. It wasn't wise to see her even as a friend. The texting would have to suffice. At least he could talk to her. He'd have to settle for that much.

...

"Who are you talking to?" Evan asked, irritated. Kate looked up from her phone.

"Reggie," she lied. She knew Evan did not like her talking to Lee. He had made it clear he found it wrong from the start. She had crafted a good lie to explain why she was even talking to him to start with since Evan had no idea how she really met Lee.

"He tell a good joke or something?" Evan questioned.

"Sort of. Why?"

"Your face is all goofy looking."

"I'm sorry my face is bothering you."

"Come on," Evan sighed. "Not now."

"Fine," Kate shot back. She and Evan were having problems. They had been having problems for the last couple of months. Kate knew they needed to work on things if they wanted their marriage to work. They'd only been married a year and a half for crying out loud, but they'd been together for five years in total. She wondered if he knew that she thought about Lee and regretted not seeing how things went with Lee. Maybe he somehow knew that Kate had almost cheated on him in the beginning of their relationship without her telling him. Maybe he knew that Kate wasn't 100 percent in the relationship. Evan wasn't so innocent himself either. Emma had been right in that there was a chance Evan had been or still was cheating on her, but she didn't have the proof. She did know what he did with his buddies, though. She had seen the lip gloss stains on the collar of his shirt, the dollar bills in his coat pocket. She had even followed him once and saw him going there. It irked Kate that he went to strip clubs and felt the need to lie about it, but she never brought it up. She didn't know how. Instead, she focused on her work.

"You coming to bed or what?" Evan asked from the doorway of their bedroom.

"Yup," she answered, shutting her phone off. Sometimes she wondered what she was doing with her life. She felt she wasn't in the right direction, but she didn't know how to change it.

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**I enjoy getting feedback! It motivates me to write and lets me know my ideas aren't stupid. Cheers :)**


	3. Going to See Kate

**2014  
**

"My marriage is over," Kate said to Emma. Her sister inhaled sharply through the phone.

"What?"

"Yea."

"You know I was kidding, right? About him leaving you?"

"I know. I'm the one who told him to leave."

"What happened?"

"We just drifted apart. We've separated and will be starting the divorce proceedings soon."

"I'm so sorry, Kate."

"It's okay."

Kate let the smoke from her cigarette trail away into the distance. She was on the balcony of her new apartment, and it was small and empty. She didn't really miss Evan, though. He had become mean and rather abusive towards her. She had also caught him cheating, which apparently hadn't been his first time, just like she had suspected.

"You still there?" Emma asked.

"Yea."

"Do Mum and Dad know?"

"I just told them. I could tell they were disappointed."

"Have you told Lee?"

"Why are you bringing him up right now?"

"Because. He lost his fiance. He will probably know how to make you feel better."

"I don't need to bother him with this information."

"Kate..."

"I'm getting another call," Kate lied. "It's work."

"Okay. Well, I'm here for you, all right?"

"Thanks, Em."

Kate hung up and sighed. She looked at the phone in her hand and debated on what to do. Emma was right in that Lee would understand and know how to make her feel better.

**Hey**, she typed. **Sooo the hubby took off.**

Within seconds, she had a reply.

**Took off where?!**

**To another woman's arms.**

**Shit, really?**

**Yea. So I dumped his sorry ass.  
**

**I'm so sorry.**

**It's okay. I'm okay. It's been coming for a while.**

**He's an idiot for losing you.**

**I appreciate that. **

Kate smiled at this. She wished she lived closer to Lee. She wasn't even really sure where he was anyway. She was just glad he answered her.

**I'm here for you.**

**Thank you.**

Kate leaned back in her chair and looked up at the stars. Somewhere Liam was watching. She had a feeling he wouldn't have liked Evan. She wished he could have given her feedback somehow.

**I'm in Siberia. I have to go to work otherwise I'd keep you company all night.**

**I understand. Go save the world.**

**Ha, sure. Thanks.**

Kate laughed. She didn't know exactly what he did, but she didn't care. She closed her eyes and drifted into a mind space of nothingness.

...

"She's single?!" Barney exclaimed as they fought side by side. Lee's knives sliced through the air while Barney's bullets hit their marks.

"This is not the time or place to discuss this," Lee retorted, not missing a beat.

"You gotta go to her, man, before she moves on again," Barney insisted.

"It just happened. She won't be meeting someone tomorrow."

"She might the day after."

"Can we focus, please?" Lee asked, yanking the knives from the corpses as they carried on through the building.

"Fine. I'm just saying, you should go sooner than later."

"I'm barely over my own break up," Lee argued.

"What? Wasn't that a year ago?"

"It still hurts."

"Then move on."

"Like it's that easy," Lee snorted.

"Guys!" Toll shouted as they came into view. He spread his arms out and made the "come on" face when they approached. "We gotta roll."

"Yea, yea," Lee muttered. Barney clapped his back before reloading his gun. Caesar and Gunner nodded at them, ready. They were about to face half an army.

"Go for it," Barney said. "If we make it out of this alive, you go for it."

"I'm not making any promises."

"Fine. At least think about it."

"Fine."

Barney gave the signal, and they burst through the doors, guns blazing and knives flying.

...

As the days went by, Kate caught herself hoping that Lee would come. Each one that passed where he didn't, she felt disappointed. This surprised her in a way because she had thought she was over those feelings for him. The days turned into months, and Kate began to realize that maybe she was kidding herself that there had been any feelings on his end. Maybe it was all her. Maybe she was hoping for something that didn't even exist. Maybe he thought they were legit just friends. In the end, she did her best to bury it all because it was easier than driving herself crazy with wondering.

**2015**

Lee was watching his friends and fellow brothers in arms teasing each other and laughing about something. Over the last two years, he had slowly gotten better at not thinking about Lacy. He had heard she was engaged to someone else already. He had found that out today in fact. He wasn't in the talking mood, but he was also worried about Kate. He hadn't heard from her lately, and they usually spoke every day. Despite Barney telling him to go see her almost every day in the last year, Lee couldn't bring himself to. He wasn't ready to get hurt again, he didn't think Kate was over her marriage falling apart yet since the divorce had been made final only a couple months ago, and he didn't want to lose Kate as a friend if he pushed and she wasn't ready. He didn't even really know if she liked him more than just a friend. It was better this way.

"No Kate today?" Barney asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"No," Lee shook his head.

"That's unusual."

"I know."

"She on a big case?"

"I don't know. She didn't say."

She did tell him actually. He just didn't want to break her confidence with Barney. She had told him about finding bodies in the walls of a house and how she was going to get the people responsible for doing it. Lee hadn't heard from her since. He was trying not to worry.

"I still say you should just show up there. See how she's doing."

Lee didn't respond. The more Barney suggested it lately, the more it started to seem like a good idea. He pulled out his phone.

"Don't tell her you're coming," Barney said, stopping him. "Women like surprise visits sometimes. It's romantic."

"I'm going as a friend," Lee corrected.

"Sure you are," Barney snorted. Lee made a face at him, but he put the phone away. Maybe he would surprise her. Tool and Doc were egging each other on, holding knives in their hands. Toll was whooping and encouraging them while Caesar and Gunner sat back with their beer and watched, grinning. Caesar was still recovering from his near death experience. He didn't go out on many missions anymore. The younger team members were helping to make up for his absence. Lee glanced over to where they were all sitting and talking.

"We're not getting any younger," Barney said, noticing. "Go see Kate. See where things go. You deserve that."

"All right," Lee caved. "You've finally convinced me."

"It only took seven years, but I knew I'd break you down eventually," Barney grinned. They fist bumped before Lee got up.

"Hey, where you going man?" Caesar asked, noticing. Lee couldn't help but break out into a grin.

"I'm going to go see Kate."

**A Day Later  
**

Lee made his way towards the apartment building, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. It hadn't been hard finding where Kate lived. He just hoped she would be happy to see him. He felt nervous suddenly as though he was doing something wrong, but what was wrong with going to visit a friend? It was overcast and gloomy outside as he walked towards the building. He passed a man who was walking away with a determined gait. He made eye contact with Lee, and something about his gaze unnerved Lee, which was surprising to him. Lee shook it off and didn't think anything of it as he reached the building. When he got inside and made his way upstairs to her apartment, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. Feeling tense, he stood and listened for a moment. The sound of crying hit his ears, and it made him feel upset. He'd never heard her cry before, and he didn't like to hear such anguish coming from her. Who had hurt her? He moved forward and knocked urgently on the door. After a moment and a contemplation of kicking down the door, Kate opened it about two inches, looking at him.

"Lee?" she said, her voice cracked and in a whisper. Barney had been right, she was surprised. This was not the way he wanted it to go down, though.

"Hi," Lee said. He could tell she was distraught. "Are you okay?"

"No, actually. I'm not," Kate shook her head.

"Can I come in?"

Kate moved to let him in, and Lee immediately noticed the black eye. He dropped his bag, making her jump.

"What happened?" he asked, feeling dread.

"Just another day at the office," Kate answered, trying to joke. A sob caught in her throat instead. Lee didn't even hesitate. He pulled her into an embrace, and she broke down into his shoulder.

"It's all right," he soothed. "It's all right."

...

A little while later, once Kate had stopped crying, Lee heard the story of Alejandro and what had happened with the whole cartel mess after finding the bodies in the wall of the house. When she got to the part of him forcing her to sign the paper with a gun under her chin and being unable to shoot him after while he was leaving, Lee clenched his fists. He had almost walked in on that. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he had. Well, that's not exactly true. Lee knew damn well what he would have done if he had seen Alejandro sticking his gun in Kate's face. Then he realized that the man he had passed walking here was probably Alejandro, and he felt even madder that he hadn't known to stop him and beat him to a pulp.

"Maybe he's right," Kate said after. She was fingering her coffee mug. "Maybe I need to find a smaller town."

"Is that what you want?" Lee asked. She looked at him, pressing her lips together.

"I can't stay here and keep signing papers saying things were done properly when they weren't," she replied. "I also can't stay here because someone else might try to kill me for being involved in this, but I don't know where to go."

Lee pondered this for a moment. Barney sometimes would say things happened for a reason. Perhaps there was a reason he was here right now just after this happened to Kate.

"You can stay with me for a bit until you figure something out," Lee offered. "I mean, I have an extra room at my place. Or you can get your own place. It doesn't matter." He winced at himself. He was rambling. Kate smiled, noticing his face go a little bit red.

"You'd really do that for me?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. "Wouldn't you do it for me?"

"Ha, you got me," she laughed. Lee felt a bit better seeing her laugh. She looked less scared and tense when she laughed.

"So is that a yes?" he prompted.

"All right," she agreed, becoming serious again. "As long as you don't mind."

"I don't."

"I'll be packed up in twenty minutes."

"That long?" he teased. "I can pack up in five."

"You're going to make me regret this, aren't you?" Kate asked, giving him a bit of a smile.

"Nah. You'll learn to love me," he grinned back. Her heart jumped a little at this, but she just shook her head and went to pack. Lee hoped he had made the right decision by inviting her to come stay with him. He was a friend helping a friend. He wasn't looking for that to change unless the opportunity presented itself. That's what he was convincing himself to think anyway.

...

"You're going to live with him?" Emma asked, surprised. Kate was in her room packing while Lee was waiting. She figured she should let her sister know what was going on since she was the only one to know what had happened.

"I'm crashing there until I find a place," Kate corrected. She had been very surprised to see Lee, but she was grateful he had come just when she needed him.

"Is that creep going to find you there?" Emma's tone was worried. Kate regretted telling her what had happened with Alejandro.

"No," Kate replied. "He won't."

"I hope not."

"How's Mum and Dad?" Kate asked, changing the subject.

"They're okay. Still harassing me about when I'm going to have a baby," Emma sighed. "I've only been married a year for crying out loud. I mean, geez."

"Better you than me," Kate laughed.

"Ugh, you're so mean," Emma complained.

"At least they care enough to hassle you," Kate told her.

"I guess."

There was a silence between them now. They both knew that their parents cared more and were more involved since Liam died. They feared losing another child.

"You hear from Grace?" Emma asked.

"I got a postcard."

"Me too."

"I worry about her."

"She says she's fine. I believe her," Emma said.

"I don't think any of us have been fine since before..." Kate trailed off.

"I know," Emma finished for her.

"I should keep packing."

"I suppose I should get back to work," Emma agreed.

"Okay."

"Be safe."

"Always."

"I mean it."

"I know. I mean it too," Kate responded. They hung up, and she stood by her bed for a moment looking at her phone. She hesitated over the keys, contemplating calling her parents, but then she changed her mind. She just wasn't in the mood. She put her phone in her pocket and kept packing.

...

At the airport, Kate felt nervous. She had this feeling she was being watched, so she casually kept scanning the room.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked, noticing.

"Nothing," Kate answered.

"You think you're being watched," Lee noted.

"How can you tell?"

"By the way you're looking around so much. I'm clever, you know," he teased, nudging her. She gave a halfhearted smile in return. Then she tensed because her eyes landed on someone she never wanted to see again. She jumped to her feet.

"Kate?" Lee asked. She charged forward, heading towards him. How dare he spy on her! She stopped a few feet away, and Alejandro looked back at her, his face giving away nothing.

"You're taking my advice," he noted.

"Why are you here?" Kate demanded. Lee was beside her at this point. He recognized Alejandro as the man he passed earlier that day.

"Is this him?" Lee asked, gesturing and looking at Kate. She nodded. Without even thinking, Lee burst forward.

"Lee, no!" Kate shouted. She had seen what Alejandro could do. Lee had him against the wall in seconds, his hand around Alejandro's throat, and Kate was frozen and unsure of what to do.

"You think it's fun to intimidate women and threaten to kill them?" Lee asked Alejandro. "Huh?"

Alejandro gave a rather lazy smile in return. He was not at all concerned by this man or the position he was in. He took in the anger coming off of Lee, and he felt a small bit of comfort knowing that Kate would be safe with him. That was all he wanted, for her to be safe.

"I think you might want to reconsider where you are," Alejandro said. Lee felt the butt of the gun in his chest then. He squeezed harder on the man's throat. He wished he had his knives, but he didn't carry them on commercial flights for obvious reasons.

"You might be able to intimidate her, but you won't intimidate me," he warned.

"Stop it," Kate ordered, moving in then. She was finally unfrozen. "Stop it, both of you, before security comes."

Lee held on for a moment longer, never breaking eye contact with Alejandro before finally releasing him. Alejandro tucked his gun away.

"I'm just making sure you get out of here safely," he told Kate. "That's all."

"Like you really care," Kate snapped.

"I do, actually," Alejandro said, nodding his head. "Contrary to what you may believe."

"Get out of here," Lee commanded. "Now."

Alejandro leveled his stare at Kate, who said nothing. He gave a final nod and turned to go. He would no longer have to worry about her. She would be safe and far away from all of this, and that was enough for him.

"Come on," Kate urged, tugging on Lee's arm. Their flight was being called. Lee watched Alejandro's receding back disappear slowly in the crowd, and he hoped he never had to see that man again because he didn't know what he'd do to him with no one around watching. He followed Kate once Alejandro was gone, and they boarded the plane to go home.

* * *

**I do hope that someone out there is enjoying this story.**


	4. Cigarettes & Nightmares

**Daydreamer003: Thank you so much for leaving a review! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story, and I'm also glad you like my writing :) It makes me happy that someone out there is reading this story :)**

* * *

Lee and Kate got to Lee's place late in the night. They were both exhausted, and neither of them wanted to talk about the altercation with Alejandro. Kate just wanted to forget him and everything that had happened, and Lee respected that. He couldn't get the image of Alejandro's eyes, though. There was something in there that showed that maybe he was right and he did care about Kate after all. Lee didn't want to think that, though. Any man who treated a woman like Alejandro had wasn't a decent man in Lee's mind. He showed Kate the guest room, and she thanked him before saying goodnight. Lee got settled into his own room, and he stared into the dark wondering how things were going to go.

...

At some point in the night, Kate jolted awake from the nightmare she was having. She scanned the room, confused as to where she was until she remembered what had happened.

Alejandro. The gun. Lee.

"Geez," she muttered to herself, rubbing at her hair. Her heart was not settling down, and she was getting antsy, so she got out of bed and began to pace. She decided to go for a smoke, but when she passed Lee's room, she heard something. Curious, she nudged open is door, listening.

"Don't," Lee was saying in his sleep. "Don't, please."

Kate wondered if she talked in her sleep too. Knowing that she wasn't alone in her nightmares was a little comforting, but she felt bad for Lee all the same. She was figuring out whether she should wake him up or let him sleep when he shouted.

"LIZZIE!"

She jumped, startled, and he sat up quickly. Kate didn't want to embarrass him, so she backed out of the doorway quietly and continued on her way to having a smoke. Outside, she exhaled into the night, listening to the sounds around her, she couldn't help but wonder just what Lee had been nightmaring about. Who was Lizzie?

...

The next morning, Lee moved around quietly so as not to wake Kate. He felt strange having a woman in his place again, but he also enjoyed it. He got lonely living by himself sometimes. He had not slept well that night, and was trying to get rid of the remaining images trapped in his mind. He was also thinking about Alejandro still. He wished he had managed to get a punch or two in before their altercation ended.

"Save some for me?" Kate asked, breaking into his thoughts as she entered the kitchen. She was pointing at his coffee.

"Yea," he nodded. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No. I don't sleep well anymore," she answered, which was true. She hadn't slept well since Liam died really and even more so after the trauma she had endured recently. She went to pour herself a cup and stuck a cigarette in her lips as she made her way to his deck.

"You smoke?" he asked, surprised. She looked at him, cigarette dangling.

"Yea," she answered slowly through it.

"I didn't know that."

She pulled it out of her mouth then.

"You never asked."

"It's not healthy, you know."

"And that photo of you and your friend with cigars in your mouths is...?" she asked, gesturing to it.

"A celebration. He smokes them more than me. It's not often I do," he answered.

"I see."

"I'm just looking out for your well being," he pointed out.

"Well, I appreciate it, but I'm fine," she smiled, sticking the cigarette back into her mouth. She had never told him about Liam, that smoking was what he did, and it made her feel close to him when she did it. It was a stupid reason, but she stuck with it anyway. Lee chuckled as she lit it outside and tilted her head back, exhaling the smoke. He was gonna have to help her break that habit. He knew secretly she wanted to quit. He could just tell. He laughed as she made a face of someone dying and shook her cigarette at him. This was going to be fun.

...

"Where are my smokes?" Kate asked that evening. She searched in her bag and under her clothes.

"What?" Lee said, not paying attention. He was watching the news.

"Where did you put them?" she questioned, moving to stand in front of him.

"Put what?"

"My cigarettes," she said impatiently.

"I didn't touch them, I swear," he answered, holding his hands up. Kate surveyed him carefully. He didn't give anything away, which showed her just how good he was. The thing was, she was better.

"Really," she said sarcastically.

"Honest," he said again. She pursed her lips, knowing he was lying. On instinct, she bent down close to him. He never broke eye contact with her, which was a little unnerving as she was used to intimidating people.

"What're you...?" he started as she reached around him as though she was going to hug him. He felt her hand dig into his back pocket, and he knew the gig was up. He was rather distracted by her close proximity to him, though, that he didn't bother to stop her from taking them.

"Haven't touched them, huh?" she said, waving them in his face after.

"Maybe some of them," he admitted. He was smirking at her now because she hadn't looked in the box yet. She had the look of victory on her face until she popped the top off the box.

"Oh, come on!" she cried, chucking the empty box at him. He ducked, laughing. "Where are they?!"

"I'll never tell," he replied.

"Lee," she said, getting a little worked up now. "Seriously, where are they?"

"See, this is why you should quit. Do you see how amped you're getting? That's withdrawal."

"I just...I need them," Kate said. "Right now, I need them, okay? Strange as it may be to you, they keep me sane. They make me feel..." She stopped herself. _Close to Liam_, was the rest of that sentence, but she didn't want that out there yet. She could feel herself getting more worked up, and it was silly really, getting worked up over a cigarette. In her mind, it was like losing Liam again, though. If she lost the last thing that connected her to him, then he was really gone for good, so she kept smoking.

"Kate?" Lee asked, noticing she was stressing out. He stood up and reached for her arm. "You okay?"

"Just tell me where they are," she ordered, not looking at him. Lee felt that if he didn't comply, she might actually hit him, so he went over to the jar on the counter and retrieved her cigarettes for her. She yanked one from his hand when he returned and shoved the rest back into the box as she walked to the deck. Lee felt bad for making her upset, but he hadn't realized just how important smoking was to her. It made him wonder what was really going on, but he was too afraid to ask because he felt if he pushed, she would run, and he wasn't ready for her to run just yet.

...

Kate felt bad all night for freaking on Lee about the damn cigarettes. He had just been trying to help her by being a prankster about it, but she let it affect her way too much. She wasn't sleeping well again, and she wondered if he was experiencing the same thing. On instinct, she reached beside her on the bed, finding no one there. The one thing she missed about Evan was his sleeping beside her. Something about having someone with her made her feel safe and comforted during the night, especially when she had a particularly bad nightmare. Tonight, she couldn't shake the image of Liam's eyes from her mind, so without really thinking, she got up and found herself standing beside Lee as he slept. He wasn't talking in his sleep, so she hoped he was having a better night than she was. She thought about Lacy and wondered if Lee missed having her with him too. You grew accustomed to people always being there, and when they were gone, the emptiness was sometimes hard to bear. Without thinking at all, she went around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to him. He didn't stir, and she was glad because she didn't want to explain to him that she just wanted a body beside her. She didn't want him to interpret it into anything more, but then again, if he did, she wouldn't say no. She closed her eyes, already feeling safer, and knew she had to wake up and get out in the morning before he did.

...

Lee opened his eyes in the morning and immediately noticed he was not alone. The arm across his chest kind of gave it away. He turned his head carefully, wondering just exactly who was lying next to him. Had Lacy come back? Was he still asleep and dreaming? What the hell was going on? Then he saw her.

Kate.

"What?" he murmured to himself. Why was she there? He had no idea what to do. Did she want him to wake up and find her there? Was she supposed to have gotten up and left before he woke up? Was she trying to tell him something? His brain had a million questions, but all he could do was watch her sleep. Something about her peacefulness beside him made him want to leave her like that. He knew she didn't sleep well either, just like him. She'd mentioned it the day before. He was still debating on what to do when she stirred and opened her eyes.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him and sitting up.

"If I recall, this is my bed, so I didn't do anything wrong," Lee teased.

"I know, I know," she said, embarrassed. She worked to untangle herself from the blankets. "I just...oh God."

"It's fine," he assured her.

"No, it's not fine. Some person climbs into bed with you...that's gotta leave you wondering why," she said. She pulled down on her tank top before hugging herself, wishing it was longer and not showing off so much skin. She felt heat on her cheeks because she had not realized that Lee was shirtless before hopping in next to him hours ago.

"You're not just 'some person' to me, Kate. You're a friend. That gives you a little bit of leeway," he chuckled.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's fine, really, but you're right. I am wondering why," he responded, still looking at her.

"It's crazy, but...well, I miss that security of someone beside me when I sleep," she explained, sheepish. "I feel less...vulnerable."

"It's not crazy," Lee said. He understood it very well.

"I, um, won't do it again," she promised. "Sorry."

"Kate..." he said as she walked away quickly. He had no idea how to address this. She obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore, and he didn't want to make her feel worse. He was getting confused by the signal it was sending, though, but he decided to take it as she wasn't looking for a relationship. She just needed the comfort, and friends comforted each other. He knew that was true. He just knew, though, that she would be incredibly awkward with him now. He had to work on that or else they'd lose their friendship, and he needed that more than he had previously realized.

...

Kate avoided Lee all day. She had run out before he had gotten out of bed, and she spent the day wandering the town and not knowing what to do. He had been texting her messages all day, and she ignored them. How could she have been so stupid? He must think she was nuts. What kind of signal did that send to him, her being in his bed? She could kick herself for being so ridiculously insane.

"Oh!" she cried, bumping into someone. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's all good," the man replied. "No worries."

"Are you sure?" she asked, bending to help pick up the items that had fallen out of his bag. He took them from her as she handed them over.

"More than sure," he grinned.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Being lost in thought can sometimes be a good thing," he told her. "I hope that's the case here?"

"I don't even know," she admitted. He laughed again.

"Well, just watch for traffic," he warned. "They aren't as forgiving as I am."

"Thanks," she smiled finally. She watched him continue on his way, wondering who he was. Not many people were so nice when they got flattened and had their groceries strewn about on the ground. Her phone went off again, and she knew she couldn't ignore him forever.

**Starting to worry. You all right? Just say yes or no.**

Kate sighed. She hadn't meant to worry him.

**Yes.**

**Thank you.**

Kate knew she couldn't avoid him forever. It was getting to be night again, and she felt nervous. She constantly felt like she was being watched, which was terrible. She made her way back after another couple of hours, and she hoped she hadn't royally screwed things up.

...

Lee kept checking his phone, waiting for something from Kate after her "yes," but none came. When she finally walked through the door, his nerves were almost shot.

"I get that you're embarrassed or whatever," he said as soon as he saw her, "but you scared the shit out of me. I was beginning to think something had happened to you."

"I'm sorry," she said.

He looked at her, sighing. He didn't do afraid very well, and it always came out as anger. He took some breaths before continuing.

"I'm not reading into what happened this morning," he said. "Your explanation was good enough for me. You just got out of a marriage, and I'm still...whatever it is I'm going through, and I know that we're just friends, and I'm very much okay with that. The fact that I make you feel safe means a lot to me because I spend a lot of time in a job where I make people unsafe. So really, it's fine."

"Okay," she nodded. "Thank you."

They both looked at each other until he finally nodded back. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that he was fine with them just being friends. Had she really misread him?

"I'm going out," he said after a moment. "You okay here?"

"Yea," she answered. "Have fun."

"Thanks."

Kate wondered who he was going out with. Was it a girl? Was he going on a date? She didn't want to ask. It would make her look desperate. Lee gave her a small wave before going out the door, and she sat down on the chair and wondered why it bothered her if he really was going on a date.

...

"Say that again?" Barney asked Lee, staring at him. He had just finished telling Barney what had happened that morning. They were at Tool's place having a drink together. Toll and Gunner were there as well, but Caesar was at home. Doc was wherever he was when he wasn't with them. Lee never really knew what he did in his spare time. Tool was entertaining a lady friend and showing her his hand drawn tattoos.

"I don't think I have to," Lee answered, sipping his beer.

"She crawled into bed with you, man," Barney said. "How much more evidence do you need that she likes you?"

"She gave her reason. It wasn't like that."

"It was a lie."

"Look, there is no way this is happening," Lee said, pointing his finger at Barney. "She's in a fragile state, and I don't think us getting together is a good idea."

"Now there you go spewing nonsense again," Barney scoffed.

"It's not nonsense! It's common sense," Lee argued.

"You infuriate me."

"Right back at ya," Lee snorted. He and Barney continued to bicker, oblivious to the others.

Toll and Gunner were off in their own world too, though, and Toll was thinking about what had happened earlier that day.

"What's with you?" Gunner asked him.

"I met a girl," Toll grinned.

"Really?"

"Yea. Well, she plowed into me and knocked all my stuff on the ground, but she was really cute, which made up for it."

"Did you get her name?"

"No, I didn't," Toll shook her head.

"Then how are you gonna know how to find her?"

"I don't, but if it's meant to be, we'll cross paths again," Toll replied.

"You think fate is gonna be that kind?" Gunner asked.

"I think so," Toll nodded. He hoped so anyway.

"Damn it, Barney!" Lee shouted, making them both jump. Even Tool looked over at them, curious.

"What's up?" Toll asked them.

"Well..." Barney started.

"No," Lee said, cutting him off. "It's nothing. We're having a difference of opinion about something, that's all."

"It's his friend," Barney went on.

"Barney," Lee warned.

"I just think we should get to meet her is all," Barney said, holding up his hands. "What do you fellows think?" He looked at everyone else, who looked at each other and then back at Lee and Barney.

"I'm game," Toll agreed.

"Bring her in," Gunner nodded.

"Just a friend?" Tool asked.

"Oh, not you too," Lee moaned. "Yes! Just a friend! She's just a friend. Can you all stop it please?!"

"A'ight," Toll said. He wasn't really sure what was going on anyway.

"Tomorrow sounds good," Barney said, grinning at Lee, who glared back.

"Fine, but keep your thoughts to yourself," Lee ordered.

"I'll try," Barney snorted. Toll and Gunner smirked to each other, knowing that once Barney was onto something with Lee, he wouldn't let it rest until Lee saw it his way.

...

Kate was still up when Lee returned. She scanned him as he came inside, looking for evidence of a woman on him. She couldn't find any.

"Where did you go?" she asked casually when he sat across from her in the living room.

"Just hung out with the guys," he answered.

"Barney?"

"Yea."

"Nice," she nodded, feeling herself relax. Just the guys. It wasn't a date. Again, she didn't know why she cared. Her mind also kept going to the guy she had run into that day, wondering who he was and what he was like. If Lee wasn't interested in her, and it was beginning to look that way for sure, then maybe it was time to look into someone else. She doubted she would ever see that guy again, though.

"They want to meet you," Lee blurted, making her look at him.

"They do?" she asked, surprised.

"Yea. You game for that?"

"Sure."

"All right," he nodded. "Good. Is tomorrow okay?"

"Uh, sure?" she said, laughing. "It's not like I've got anything else to do."

"Right," he chuckled. Then he saw the newspaper ads on the coffee table. "What are you looking for?"

"An apartment," she answered, wincing. "I think...I think it's best that I get my own place."

"Look, if it's about this morning..."

"No, no. I just think I need to be on my own and figure things out. I've intruded on you long enough."

"It's been three days," he pointed out.

"I know, but I don't like intruding longer than I have to. You understand, right?" she asked. She had to get out because if she stayed her any longer she would most likely end up back in his bed, and next time there was no telling if she'd leave it as just sleeping beside him. If he didn't want that from her, then she didn't want to risk their friendship by being stupid. She also knew that right now, she couldn't handle that kind of rejection.

"Yea, I guess," he finally answered. He felt disappointed, but he didn't want to make her feel bad either. He just went with it.

"Thanks," she smiled, getting up. "I'm going to turn in now."

"Okay," he nodded. She went to bed, so he decided to as well. Once he was lying down, he kept looking over beside him to the empty space. A part of him hoped she would find herself beside him again in the middle of the night, but she didn't.


	5. Meet the Team

In the morning, Kate took in the sight of an exhausted and haunted looking Lee. He said nothing as he sat down across from her at the table. She had heard him shouting in his sleep again, but she had resisted going to wake him up. She hesitated, contemplating on asking him what was troubling him. Then again, she wouldn't want to answer if he asked he the same question. In the end, curiosity got the best of her.

"Who's Lizzie?" she asked. Lee snapped his head towards her, staring at her.

"What?"

"At night I...I hear you," she went on. "You call out her name a lot. I figure she's important to you. I just...I thought it might help if you talked about it."

Lee felt a little nauseous. She heard him at night? He yells out Lizzie's name? He felt embarrassed and like his secrets were on his sleeve.

"It's nothing," he lied. "Just...someone I failed on a mission." It wasn't a total lie. He had failed Lizzie, but it was in a different way entirely.

"Was she someone close to you?"

"No," he lied again.

Kate had a feeling he wasn't being entirely truthful, but she didn't want to press.

"Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here," she offered. Lee did not respond. Instead, he got up and left the room entirely. Kate could relate to how he felt, though. If roles were reversed and he had pressed about her shouting out Liam's name, she would have lied too.

...

That afternoon, Lee took Kate to Tool's place as per Barney's request. The night before, Lee had already given Barney the details on what happened to Kate and at the airport when he was bringing her home before Barney had gotten into it about him liking Kate. Barney had agreed that they'd keep an eye out for Alejandro in case he tried to show up there as well. When they arrived at Tool's, Barney stopped what he was doing to look at them. Lee noticed everyone else was looking at her too. She still had the black eye, but despite that she was still radiant. Lee fought to keep going red in the face from thinking about her.

"You must be Kate," Barney said, approaching first. He shook her hand. He didn't mention the black eye.

"The one and only," Kate nodded. "You're Barney."

"So he has talked about me," Barney confirmed, shooting Lee a look.

"All good things," Kate smiled. She knew that Lee loved Barney like a brother but that Barney also could drive him crazy with his stubbornness.

"They better be. I know where he lives."

"An empty threat," Lee scoffed.

"So this is the gang," Barney cut him off, gesturing to the others. "Toll, Doc, Caesar, Gunner, and Tool. The rest are out on a mission."

Lee couldn't help but notice Toll's face light up when he looked at Kate.

"Nice to meet you all," Kate said, giving a small wave. Her stomach jolted at the sight of Toll. He was the guy from yesterday!

"Did you fall?" Gunner asked, pointing at her face. He was so blunt sometimes. Lee shot him a warning look, which Gunner completely missed. Kate gave a tight smile at this.

"Just the side effects of my old job," she answered. Lee noticed she said "old" job. Was she sticking with that decision?

"So you're jobless," Barney noted, hearing it too.

"I don't think the FBI is for me anymore," she shook her head. "When someone lets me get used by others the way I was, I don't exactly trust them after that." She missed Reggie, though.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Toll asked casually. Lee was still watching him, and he discovered that Toll had not taken his eyes off of Kate since she had walked in. He felt his stomach clench.

"I'm not exactly sure," she answered truthfully. "I might just take some time to 'find myself' or whatever they're calling it these days."

"Toll's got a great therapist to help you with that," Caesar said without missing a beat. Toll scowled at him.

"Therapy is a great place to talk about your feelings and get validated," Kate said back. "Maybe I will do that."

Toll gave Caesar a triumphant look at this, and Lee just knew that his friend and colleague had an interest in Kate.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Toll asked on cue.

"A beer would be wonderful," Kate answered, and Toll jumped to action. Lee bristled inside. Had Toll not been listening to Barney teasing Lee about Kate all this time? He pondered this. Maybe he hadn't.

Kate sat down with the others and started chatting. Barney came over to Lee, who was watching.

"I get it," he said.

"Get what?" Lee asked.

"The fascination. She's gorgeous."

"We're friends."

"You keep saying that, but we both know you're lying to me," Barney mused. They both watched Toll sit next to Kate and talk animatedly with her. "I also think you're going to have competition here real soon if you don't smarten up."

"You think?"

"I haven't seen Toll look like that in...well, ever," Barney reasoned. Lee knew what Barney was talking about. It didn't make him feel any better about it.

"This is crazy," Kate was saying to Toll. She felt Lee watching her, but she didn't look at him.

"I know right?" he laughed. Fate was being kind to him today.

"I mean, what are the odds?"

"I'm fine, by the way," Toll said, putting a hand to his chest. "I fully recovered from your body check."

"It wasn't a body check," she argued.

"It certainly felt like one," he insisted. "If that wasn't a body check, I'd hate to see what one really was. Will I end up like Wiley Coyote all flattened to the ground?"

Kate burst out into laughter then, tilting her head back. Toll was laughing too.

"We are just friends," Lee insisted to Barney, wishing he knew what they were talking about that was so damn funny. "That has been made very clear, so you need to accept that."

"I don't accept lies," Barney said. "You're living together. Give it time. It's bound to happen."

"She's already looking for her own place," Lee commented. His mind flashed back to the night before, her looking at the ads.

"So convince her to stay," Barney told him. "Don't let her get away again, Lee."

Lee watched her lean in and touch Toll's arm, and he already knew where her interest was headed.

"I think it's too late," he replied.

...

"Do you think Lee likes Kate?" Toll asked Caesar when Lee and Kate had left. He didn't remember much about Lee's first meeting with Kate, but he did remember that Lee kind of liked her. It was so long ago now, though. He had to have gotten over it, right? He'd moved on with Lacy for long enough. Lee had kept insisting they were just friends the night before. Why lie about that?

"That's random," Caesar laughed.

"I just wanna know."

"Why? You gonna ask her out?"

"I want to."

"Maybe you should talk to Lee first."

"Did they look like they were into each other here today?" Toll asked.

"Well, no..."

"I think she was into me," Toll insisted.

"Okay, well, do what you gotta do, but don't blame me when Lee slits your throat from anger," Caesar said, holding up his hands. Toll swallowed.

"He wouldn't."

"He might."

"I'll ask her, and if he tells me to back off, I will," Toll compromised.

"Whatever, dude," Caesar said. Toll nodded. That would be his plan. It wasn't like he was scared of Lee. He just didn't want to risk Lee saying that yea, he did like Kate and then watch them never get together when he could have had the relationship with her. Maybe it was wrong. Maybe it was cowardly, but Toll figured Lee would speak up if he really was interested in Kate. After all, it had been Toll who had shown an interest in Lacy first, and Lee got with her. He figured Lee kind of owed him one.

...

Kate was smoking on his balcony while Lee finished making dinner. She had offered help, but he had insisted that for tonight, she was to do nothing. Lee watched her as he cooked, and he wondered what she was thinking. Her face offered a look of one that was very far away in thought. He wondered if she was thinking about Toll. He looked away quickly when she stood and came back in.

"Are you sure I can't help you?" she asked, coming over to him and leaning her elbows on his countertop.

"I'm almost done," he answered. He was just doing the finishing touches on their steaks.

"A man who can cook. That's the dream," she commented.

"Is it now?" he laughed.

"I think so anyway," she shrugged, grinning. Lee felt that electricity he'd first felt seven years ago when he met her, and he wondered if she felt it too. She didn't let on she did.

"When you live alone, you have to learn to feed yourself," he explained.

"Of course," she nodded. He passed her a plate, and she picked her steak. They went to sit and eat. After a moment, she looked up at him.

"I think this is the best steak I've ever had," she told him. He felt his ears go a bit pink at this. He never did well with compliments.

"I'm glad you think so."

"You don't take compliments well, do you?" she asked, reading his mind again. He marveled at how she could do that so well. The only other person capable of that was Barney, and they had been friends a long time.

"Not really."

"Me either," she shook her head. They ate in silence again for a bit.

"Your friends are great," she said suddenly. "Toll especially. Is he seeing anyone?"

And there it was. Lee cringed inside, hating that he wasn't brave enough to just tell her that he was crazy about her, to tell her to leave Toll out of it. What was wrong with him?

"Ah, no," he answered. "Not that I know of."

"He's very sweet," she went on. She wasn't sure why she was leaving out the fact that she had met him the day before. It seemed irrelevant somehow.

"I don't usually see that side of him when we're on the job," Lee advised. She laughed.

"Of course you don't."

"You like him then?" Lee asked. He had to know. She blushed.

"I think he's cute, yes. I just met him, though."

"Right."

"I mean, we're friends, yes? Are you okay with that?" she asked. Lee was not okay with it, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings or tell her what to do. He could hear Barney in his head screaming at him to open his damn mouth and tell her the truth, but he couldn't.

"Yea," he lied. "I'm all right with it."

"Great," she smiled, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. That had been the final test to see if Lee was interested in her. He showed nothing to prove he liked her so far, and this just confirmed it. Maybe she had misread him after all.

"He's already asked me out later tonight," she said carefully.

"Really?" Lee asked, surprised. That was fast. He kept his emotions in check.

"Yea. Just a drink. Don't wait up," she added. Lee just nodded. It was getting better and better.

"Oh, and I found a place. I'm going to look at it tomorrow," she went on.

Lee felt his world shattering a little at this. She was going to leave him and date Toll. How had this gone so awry so quickly?!

"Okay," he said after a moment. Kate watched him carefully, but his face betrayed nothing. She went back to her food, wondering why she was so concerned about what he was thinking and feeling when it was clearly not about her.

...

Lee tortured himself all night thinking about Kate and Toll and what they were doing on their date. He had no idea what Toll was like on a date. How could he not know that? He'd been friends with the guy for how long now? He didn't answer Barney's messages because all of them called him an idiot. He kept checking to see if Kate was going to write him and ask for an out like some people do when they go on a first date. He got nothing.

"This is your fault," he told himself. "You said no. You let her go. Now you gotta live with it." He sat down on the edge of the couch and pulled at his face. He was having a very hard time living with it. He couldn't very well go back now, tell her "Oh, hey, I was kidding when I said I was all right with it!" He'd look like even more of an idiot. No, he had to let this go. Kate was better off with Toll. Yes.

Now, if only he could get himself to believe it.

...

"You're going to go out with someone else?" Emma asked, surprised. "I thought you liked Lee."

"He does not share the same feeling," Kate replied. She was playing with her lighter as she sat on Lee's deck. She had assumed he had gone to bed since it was dark in his room. She had gotten in around ten from her date with Toll. It had been nice.

"Okay, that's insane," Emma said. "I know I don't remember much, but I do remember how he looked at you that night seven years ago."

"If he liked me that way, he would not have encouraged me to date Toll," Kate insisted.

"Toll? What kind of name is that? Who are these people you're hanging out with? Should I be worried?" Emma asked.

"I'm fine," Kate laughed. "They're really great people."

"Well, I think you're making a mistake," Emma said. "Don't date Tool."

"It's Toll."

"Whatever."

"Tool is the guy who owns the tattoo joint," Kate went on.

"Oh my God, seriously?!"

Kate just burst out laughing before saying goodnight to her sister. She looked back into the apartment, and for a moment she thought she saw Lee standing there watching her, but when she blinked, he was gone.

...

Kate awoke that night to noises coming from the kitchen. Her mind instantly screamed intruder. She scrambled from her bed and carefully went down the hall to Lee's room.

"Lee!" Kate said urgently, shaking him awake. Lee jumped into action, feeling his adrenaline kick in.

"What?" he asked.

"There's someone in the apartment," she whispered. Without thinking, he opened his nightstand and pulled his gun out. Kate let him go out first, feeling a bit like a coward hiding behind him. They went quietly down the hall towards the kitchen where the noise was coming from. Kate hadn't wanted to confront the intruder alone. She didn't feel strong enough. Lee stopped suddenly, causing her to bump into him. Again, he was shirtless with his pajama bottoms. She flushed as she stepped back from him. This was so not the time to notice that.

"Bloody hell," Lee said, snapping on the light. Kate jumped. What was he doing?! He was ruining the element of surprise!

"Lee," she hissed. She dug her nails into his shoulder.

"Ahh," he grunted in response. "It's Merlin." Lee pried her hand off of him while wincing from the pain her fingernails had caused.

"Merlin? Who is that?" Kate asked. Lee moved to let her see. A gray, short haired cat looked back up at them.

"Oh my God," she groaned. "I was afraid of a cat?!"

"It appears so, yes," Lee smirked.

"I didn't know you had a cat."

"I don't. He just comes every now and then for something to eat, a place to crash. I leave the window open a little bit for him. You probably heard him dropping down from it onto the counter. I left some stuff on it that he probably landed on."

"Well, now I feel like an idiot," she huffed, crossing her arms. The cat went back to eating. Lee always left a bowl out for him to find too. Kate couldn't believe she'd never noticed it before. Lee chuckled as he went to scratch Merlin's ears before getting a glass of water. His gun was still in his hand. Kate tried not to look directly at his muscles. It was proving difficult since they were pretty much everywhere.

"Sorry," she said.

"It's fine," he assured her. "You gotta stop apologizing for stuff."

"I can't help it."

"Any other noises?" he asked after finishing his water, a smile on his lips.

"No," she shook her head.

"Then I'm going back to bed."

"Sor-okay," she said, switching from "sorry."

"Nice save," he laughed, disappearing around the corner. Kate looked back at the cat and cursed herself for being all scared. Then she went back to her room and shut the door. Lee couldn't fall back to sleep right away. Merlin came in and jumped onto the bed, curling up beside him. He stroked the cat's fur absently. He wished his brain would just shut off. He wished he was able to be honest with Kate. He wished a lot of things, but it was up to him to make them happen or not. He knew that.

* * *

**I hope there is still an interest in this story!**


	6. Regret

"You like it?" Lee asked, looking around the apartment. Kate had her arms crossed as she examined everything. The landlord was standing near the doorway, observing. It was the next afternoon, and they were looking at the apartment Kate was interested in. They hadn't talked about the night before with the whole cat scare incident. He knew she was embarrassed enough as it was. She was grateful he had let it go.

"I do," she nodded. "It's exactly what I need right now."

"I'll get a lease and the key," the landlord said, smiling. She seemed like a nice lady. Lee felt he was biased against everyone right now, though, because he wanted Kate to stay with him.

"You sure you're ready?" he asked again. Kate gave him a look.

"Lee, is there something you wanna tell me?" she countered.

"No," he shook his head.

"You positive?"

"Yup," he lied. Barney's advice flew out the window. How was he going to convince her to stay without revealing the rest of it? He had been thinking all night about the two of them after she had woken him up for Merlin, and he figured that it was probably for the best that she didn't date him. He was a train wreck with his emotions at times, and he didn't want her to get hurt. In order to carry on, it was smart for her to move out. The landlord returned, and she and Kate went over the papers and chatted while Lee stood and looked out the window. It was a nice view of a field at least, just on the edge of town.

"Ready?" Kate asked a moment later.

"Sure."

They waved to the landlord and went to get Kate packed up and moved.

...

"I'm impressed how fast you make decisions," Toll said admiringly as they stood in the furniture store. Kate had to get a couch at least since the living room was not furnished. Lee wished she hadn't called Toll for help. He felt awkward around the two of them now that they had gone on a date.

"I'm someone who knows what I want," Kate replied. Lee was not oblivious to the look she shot his way. He refrained from thinking it had anything to do with what he thought it did because he knew it didn't.

"Will you be needing it delivered?" the salesman asked.

"Nope. Got my truck out back," Toll answered.

"Okay. We will take it..." the salesman started.

Lee and Toll already had the couch up and moving towards the door.

"...out," the salesman finished, sighing. Kate joined them while they were finishing strapping the couch down.

"What about a bed?" Toll asked.

"There was one there," Kate answered. "Surprisingly. She just didn't have anything for the living room."

"Make sure it's clean," Toll warned. He'd had a bad experience with bed bugs once. He shuddered at the memory. Lee didn't say anything as they drove along. Kate was in the middle seat of the cab, and Lee was conscious of every single time their arms touched on bumps or corners.

"Trust me, I looked," Kate promised. "I wouldn't have taken the place if it was infested with anything."

Toll nodded approvingly, and they were quiet for the rest of the drive. Lee was thankful it was a ground floor apartment and not one with a bunch of stairs. He didn't feel up to fighting with pivoting a couch around railings and such.

"Thanks, guys," Kate said once it was in place.

"No problem," Lee responded.

"You wanna go get something to eat?" Toll asked her. Lee clenched his teeth together. Did he have to do that in front of him?

"Um, sure," Kate answered, looking at Lee.

"You can come too," Toll said, but Lee knew he didn't really mean it.

"Nah. I've got some things to do," Lee shook his head. "Have fun."

"Thanks," Toll smiled. There was a moment, and Lee wondered if this was Toll waiting for approval. He didn't give it.

"See you around," Lee said, heading for the door. His feet took him to Barney.

...

"You are the biggest dumbass I have ever known," Barney said to Lee after Lee told him Kate and Toll went out for the second time in less than 24 hours.

"What's this?" Tool asked, overhearing.

"Lee's in love with Kate, and he's letting Toll date her," Barney explained.

"Ohhh man," Tool said, shaking his head. "You are a dumbass."

"Enough," Lee snapped. What irked Lee the most is that Toll didn't even ask him if it was okay to date her. Did he just assume that Lee didn't like her? Well, Lee remembered that he did make a scene about them just being friends, and how would Toll know he was lying about that? He wouldn't. He'd believe Lee and think there was nothing there. God, he really was a dumbass.

"We aren't all mind readers," Barney said, reading his mind. "You should have told him."

"Do you just permanently live in my head or what?" Lee asked roughly.

"I just know you very well," Barney corrected. "And I know that you want Kate."

"She made her decision," Lee muttered.

"Yea, cos she doesn't know you like her," Barney retorted.

"If she liked me, she wouldn't be dating Toll," Lee shot back. "So that proves it. She doesn't like me that way."

"Oh my God, I feel like I'm back in high school," Tool said suddenly, blowing smoke slowly out of his lips.

"I'll talk to Toll," Barney started.

"No, just leave it, will you?" Lee snarled. "It's done."

"All right then," Barney said, holding up his hands. "But just know you're being an idiot."

"Big idiot," Tool chimed in. Lee stood up and left the two of them behind him. He knew he was an idiot, but he didn't like being told he was one repeatedly. Yes, his heart wrenched every time he thought about Kate with Toll. Yes, he wanted to throw up thinking about them touching and kissing and other stuff. Yes, he should have told her, but he was afraid to. He didn't want to face another rejection. He didn't want to be left again the way Lacy had left him. Most of all, he didn't want anything to happen to her because bad things happened to people he was close to with the exception of Barney. So he kept quiet. If Kate was happy, then it wasn't all for nothing.

...

"Are you all right?" Toll asked, seeing Kate looked preoccupied.

"Hm? Yes," she answered, coming back to the room. She had been thinking about Lee and the look on his face he had when he had left earlier after Toll had asked her out again in front of him. Was there something there? She wasn't good at guessing games.

"Have you found a job yet?" Toll questioned when she put her attention back onto him. He was touching her hand. She did like him, but he didn't give her quite the same reaction as someone else had. Kate cleared her mind of it. That someone else did not like her that way. Why else would he let her date one of his friends?

"No," she shook her head.

"Have you thought about joining our group?" Toll asked.

"Be an Expendable?" she asked, surprised. "No, I haven't."

"I think you'd be great," he smiled. "We'd train you, of course."

"I bet you would," she smiled back.

"I still can't believe you're going out with me," Toll said.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, curious.

"It's just...I'm kind of the background guy," Toll explained. "I'm there, but I'm not really there, you know? I love my team, and they are like brothers to me, but there are some that I feel get the limelight more than others. I'm not one of them."

"I find that hard to believe," Kate said. She wondered if he was referring to Lee since he was second in command and all and Barney's best friend.

"It's the truth, but I'm okay with it," Toll shrugged. Her favorite song came on then.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked. He jumped to his feet and extended his hand to hers.

"Absolutely!"

She needed the distraction of Toll hanging onto her to stop thinking about her disappointment with Lee.

...

Lee was on his couch swinging his knife in his hand when his door was knocked on. He stopped and looked at the time, and it was late. Who was at his place at that hour? He stood, knife in hand, and answered the door carefully.

"Hi," Kate said.

"Hey," he replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on the verge of making a decision, and I want to talk to you about it," she said. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

He moved to let her in. He noticed her lips looked a little raw as though they had been kissed a lot, and he cringed inside. What decision could she possibly want to talk about? He wasn't the right guy for relationship advice, clearly.

"This wasn't something you could talk to Toll about?" he asked casually.

"He's the one who gave me the idea," she replied, sitting at his table and folding her fingers together. "I want to be an Expendable."

"You what?" Lee asked, shocked. That came from nowhere; he had not expected it at all.

"I want to join your team. I'm serious."

"But...why?"

"Because. I don't ever want to feel vulnerable and scared again," she said fiercely. "I don't want to be helpless or used or beaten on ever again. I want to be like you guys." _I also want to be strong and confident like Liam was._ She bit that back down. She never liked talking about Liam, not to anyone except her sister and her parents. Even Reggie hadn't known. Evan had known very little about Liam, just that he'd died.

"We get beaten up," Lee told her. "We get scared. We feel vulnerable. Sometimes we are helpless in situations."

"You're not changing my mind," she said firmly._ Liam would think it was cool. He'd like you._

"Then why did you come here to talk to me about it?"

"Because I want you to teach me how to fight and how to throw knives," she explained. _I want my brother to be proud of me._ Lee looked at her carefully.

"You don't need me for that," he replied.

"Come on, Lee," she said, growing annoyed. "You're my best friend. I thought you'd want to help me."

"I just don't think you're cut out for this kind of job," Lee said back strongly. "You're going to become exactly who you hate."

"I will never be like Alejandro," Kate said quietly. "You guys don't use law enforcement as a cover to do illegal things for you, do you?"

"No, but..."

"You don't force people to sign papers that are false?"

"No..."

"Then it's already different."

"Kate..."

"This is what I want, Lee," Kate cut him off. "Please, help me."

Lee pressed his lips together as he looked at her. She got up and went to stand right in front of him, taking his hands into hers. He swallowed. Any physical contact from her made him want to explode inside. It was why he was so careful to avoid it.

"Please, Lee," she begged. She didn't break eye contact with him, not even for a second.

"All right," he caved. He couldn't say no to her, not even when his brain was telling him this was a terrible idea.

"Thank you," she said, hugging him tightly then. Taken off guard, Lee tensed. She released him almost immediately, backing up. If that wasn't a big indicator he didn't like her, then what was? She forced herself to shake it off. The disappointment was harsh, though.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled, forcing it. "For my first lesson."

"Okay."

She waved as she left his apartment. He stood there in the silence afterward and wondered just what the hell he had gotten himself into.

...

"I don't like it," Emma said after Kate told her the plan. It was late, but Kate needed to talk to her. She had smoked two cigarettes already, thinking about Liam and what he'd tell her if he was there. She needed to hear an actual voice.

"It's what I need right now," Kate insisted.

"To be trained as a killer? No, Kate, I disagree."

"I shouldn't have told you."

"That's not the issue here. The issue is you're insane."

"How am I insane?"

"First of all, you're dating a guy you're not really into because the guy you want isn't into you, which makes my head literally want to explode because you're being so stupid, and secondly, you just told me you want to be a hitman."

"It's not being a hitman."

"I don't care. It sounds scary and dangerous, and I don't think you should do it."

"Emma, you can't change my mind."

"Liam would say no too," Emma said, knowing Kate was thinking about him.

"He wouldn't. He'd sign up right behind me," Kate argued.

"Well, his recklessness is what got him killed, wasn't it?" Emma asked angrily. Kate closed her eyes. The pain was always right there every time she thought about it.

"It was not recklessness. His quick thinking saved my life," Kate replied back quietly.

"And cost him his," Emma added.

"Enough," Kate said roughly. Tears were in her throat now. She knew it was her fault. She lived with that guilt every day. She didn't need to be reminded of it.

"Please don't do it," Emma begged. "I can't stand to think of losing you. It was hard enough to have you in the FBI. Think of Mum and Dad."

"I knew telling you this was a bad idea," Kate said.

"Kate..."

Kate hung up the phone, not bothering to hear her sister out. She got up and went back out to smoke again. The image of Liam's death flashed in her mind. She cringed. It was something she would never forget. Her phone chimed then, surprising her. She looked at it.

**Tomorrow morning meet at Tool's place. 7 a.m. sharp.**

She smiled at Lee's words, the image of Liam fading now. She wrote him back.

**You got it. **

* * *

**I appreciate hearing your thoughts. It motivates me to update faster :D**


	7. Insomnia

"Again," Lee said. It was the next day, and, as promised, Kate was there bright and early at Tool's before Lee took them to the woods where he trained.

"This is hard," she complained.

"Did you think it would be easy?" he asked, incredulous.

"No," she shook her head. She had a cigarette dangling in her lips as she aimed her knife.

"Would you put that out already?" he requested.

"It helps me focus," she said. _It makes me feel like Liam is with me, encouraging me. _Of course, these words are left unsaid.

"Like hell it does," he retorted. He yanked it from her lips and stamped it out on the ground. She huffed but didn't say anything. She threw the knife again only to miss the target.

"How do you do it?" she asked. "Cos that's my hundredth knife, and I still miss."

"Rome wasn't built in a day," Lee replied.

"You have no idea how much I hate that statement," Kate told him.

"It's true, though."

"Just show me again," she commanded. Lee chuckled, but he obliged. His knife hit the target dead center. She groaned.

"You make it look so easy," she whined. She threw another and missed.

"Look it," he said, going over to her and handing her a fresh knife. "You're holding it all wrong."

"How else do you hold a knife?" she asked, waving it around and feeling annoyed. He stood behind her and put it in her hand properly, moving her fingers into position. He was very aware how close his face was to hers, but he forced himself to stay focused.

"It's also in your stance," he said. He moved her legs and hips to where they were supposed to go. She looked at him after, feeling a little flushed inside from the feeling of his hands on her.

"Is that all?" she asked, hating that her voice sounded funny.

"Throw it," he nodded. She did so, and it landed on the edge of the target.

"Holy shit!" she crowed, fist pumping. Her fluster was taken over by excitement. "I got it!"

"Nice throw," Toll said, coming into view. He had a coffee for her. Kate went over to him and gave him a quick hug. Lee was grateful she didn't kiss him. He knew he couldn't handle that.

"You're just in time," she said, taking her coffee from him. She felt jumpy inside still. She wondered if Toll had seen Lee handling her. She had almost lost her footing when he touched her. She had not been expecting that at all. When his face had been that close to hers, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. What was wrong with her?

"How's practice going?" Toll asked, interrupting her thoughts. She beamed at him, thankful he couldn't read her thoughts. She liked Toll. She really did. She hated that Lee still had this hold on her, though, when he had no interest in her.

"She thinks it's going to be super easy," Lee teased.

"Right, so you can all throw a knife well then?" Kate asked. Toll proceeded to pick up the knife from the ground and threw it into the target. It wasn't quite the center, but it was close enough.

"Somewhat," he answered, grinning at her.

"Since when can you throw like that?" Lee asked. He knew Doc and Tool were his best opponents, but he had no idea Toll could throw that good as well.

"I've practiced," Toll answered nonchalantly.

"So what are you doing here?" Kate asked Toll then.

"I just came to say hi and provide caffeine. I gotta do a short stint with Barney this afternoon."

"Where are you going?" Lee asked, surprised. Why hadn't Barney told him about a mission?

"It's nothing big. Something about a bomb."

Ah, so that was it. Toll was their explosive expert after all.

"Don't get blown up," Lee commented. Toll snorted.

"Thanks," he said.

"Well, bye," Kate said, giving him a small kiss then. Lee turned away. It made him nauseous.

"See you later," Toll said. "Don't be too hard on her, Lee."

Lee didn't respond. Toll was gone a moment later.

"Okay," Kate said, facing him again and holding out her hand. "Give me another knife."

...

That night, Lee opened his eyes from a dream he had been having. It had been so real and so vivid, and he couldn't help but look beside him to make sure Kate wasn't lying beside him again. She wasn't.

"Shit," he said, sitting up and rubbing his face hard. He should not be having those kinds of dreams about a girl his friend was dating. What was wrong with him? He kept thinking about her, though, and he couldn't stop if he tried. Their day together training had been fun and intense at times. He wondered if she was thinking about him, but he doubted it. All day she had not shown him any indication that she wanted to more than friends, so he knew he had to let this go. He got up then because he couldn't sleep, and he did his best to think about anything other than the image of Kate lying on top of him and kissing him, but nothing was working. He decided to go for a walk.

...

Kate worked hard to calm her rapid breathing. She sat on the edge of her bed and gripped it with her hands, bending forward a little. She wished the nightmares would stop. It made her dread sleep and feel exhausted afterwards. Kate looked around the room, and she suddenly wished she wasn't alone. She stood and threw on a hoodie and jeans, heading to the door. She didn't know where she would end up, but she needed to go for a drive. She turned up her music, trying to drown out her thoughts as she drove. Without realizing it, she drove to Lee's street. She had no idea why or what she was going to do, but she didn't have to think long because Lee was suddenly in front of her, walking down the street. She hit her brakes, startled, and Lee turned to look behind him. She couldn't read his expression very well as he went to the driver's side window, and she rolled it down.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm driving," she answered, trying to be amusing.

"At this time of night?"

"It's safer than walking," she said pointedly.

"Right," he nodded before moving away and starting to walk again. Kate put the car in park and got out.

"Hey," she called. "That's it?" He turned to look back at her.

"What were you hoping for?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe someone to have insomnia with?" she shrugged. He laughed.

"Really."

"Yes, really," she responded.

"Sorry. I'm not very good company right now," he said after a moment.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

_You_, he thought, but he kept it to himself. Having her near him was the very opposite of what he was trying to get from this walk.

"I just want to be alone," he said instead.

"Is it Lizzie?" Kate asked boldly. She had kept thinking about her since their last conversation about it.

"What? No," Lee shook his head.

They looked at one another for a moment, and Kate knew he wasn't going to tell her what was really going on, so she dropped it.

"Okay," she sighed. "Good night then."

"Good night," he repeated back, turning to walk again. He felt bad because he could tell she needed someone to talk to, but he couldn't be around her right now. He just couldn't. Kate felt a little rejected as she got back into her car, watching him go, but she gave him his space and drove off. Lee heard her tires receding into the distance, and he wished he had just let her stay even though her being around him was so hard.

...

"You look like shit," Barney said the next morning. They were at their usual coffeehouse together, and Lee was exhausted from the night before. He had walked for a long time. Barney and Toll had finished their quick mission before midnight.

"Thanks," Lee replied.

"Everything all right?"

"Of course."

"Liar."

"Ah, you got me," Lee said, tired of pretending. He couldn't hide it from Barney anyway.

"I can still talk to Toll..."

"It's all right. He's nuts about her," Lee said. It was true. He noticed Toll was happier and lighter on his feet lately. The guy deserved to be happy too. Lee was just miffed that it was at his own expense and stupidity for letting Kate get away.

"So when they get married, are you gonna be all right watching that?" Barney asked.

"Whoa, they're just dating," Lee said, holding his hand up. "One thing at a time, huh?"

"I'm just saying. If it gets serious, you gotta be able to handle it."

"I will."

"I doubt it," Barney commented, sipping his coffee.

"Then I'll move away."

"Running away from your problems is not the answer," Barney chided.

"Then what do you suggest, oh wise one?" Lee asked, impatient. Barney stared at him.

"Do I really have to tell you?" he countered.

"I can't tell her."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"No, it's not. You don't want to get hurt again, so you figure being alone will save you from that. I got news for you, being alone and in love with someone else's girl is no way to live. You're still getting hurt."

"I can't tell her."

"All right," Barney said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I don't know what else to tell you then."

"Don't tell me anything."

Lee's phone chirped, and he looked at it.

"It's her, isn't it?" Barney asked.

"Time to go to work," Lee said instead, getting up and throwing some bills down onto the table. Barney shook his head as he watched his friend leave, knowing that Lee was going to die inside if he didn't do something about his feelings for Kate and soon.

...

Kate had noticed that Lee hadn't been himself that day. It was like he had been there but not fully there. She wondered what was going on with him. She figured it had something to do with his night walk, but he wouldn't open up to her, and she didn't know how to get him to. They had parted ways after training without much being said. Kate went home and wished she had just pushed him to talk a little or something. Her phone rang, and she saw it was Emma, but she slid it to voicemail. She hadn't spoken to Emma since their heated conversation. She just didn't want to hear it. She wanted someone to tell her how proud they were of the progress she was making, and Emma was not going to give that to her. She began texting with Toll, not sure who else to talk to, and he suggested going out for some chicken wings. She agreed. She briefly wondered what Lee was doing and if he was okay, but then she put it out of her mind. They were just friends. She would be okay with that. She had to be.

* * *

**I really do love feedback!**


	8. The Game

**Thank you, Pavs, for your review! Don't worry, it gets even more emotionally confusing before it resolves itself haha ;)**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Kate was very sore. She had been sparring with Lee for a few days now, and she didn't think her arms could carry on much less the rest of her body.

"Are you okay?" Toll asked, laughing as she groaned while reaching for her drink of water. They went out most nights now. Today, they were having lunch together.

"I thought training for the FBI was brutal," she said. "I was wrong."

"Lee's a force to be reckoned with," Toll agreed, chuckling. "You're learning from one of the best."

"So when are you going to teach me something?" she challenged.

"I can show you how to dismantle a bomb," he offered. She wrinkled her nose.

"That sounds scary."

"It might be necessary for you one day."

"All right. I suppose you have convinced me then," she smiled at him. Barney came in then, and Kate noticed the look he gave them. She wondered what it meant.

"So, are you ready to impress me at the firing range?" he asked her.

"That I am good at," she nodded.

"Let's go then."

She said goodbye to Toll and followed Barney to his truck.

...

"Damn," Barney said after Kate shot off his pistols. "Looks like you have nothing to learn from me."

"I'm better with a gun," she admitted. "Although I am getting better with the knives."

"How's that going anyway?" Barney asked casually.

"Good I think," she answered. She looked at him then, and Barney just knew. He knew she liked Lee. She was not as good at hiding it as she thought she was. How Lee couldn't seem to see it, Barney had no idea. Unless his friend was being daft about it, which was highly possible.

"You think?" he repeated.

"Well, it's just...I know Lee isn't all that thrilled that I'm doing this," she admitted. "But he doesn't get it."

"You don't want to be a sitting duck next time," Barney finished for her.

"Right!" she said enthusiastically. "I want to be strong and tough. I don't want to be regarded as weak and stupid ever again."

"I'm sorry they did that to you."

"I'm not," Kate said. Barney tilted his head at her curiously.

"Why's that?"

"Because then I wouldn't be here."

"And you like being here?"

"I really do," she nodded.

"Things with Toll are okay?" he asked. He had to know. He watched her face carefully. It gave something away, just like he'd suspected.

"I think so. We get along well, and he's very sweet."

"I see."

"Should we get back?" she asked. Barney stood there for a moment, debating on what to do.

"Sure," he agreed. They headed for his truck, and once they got driving, he had made his decision.

"Got any girlfriends, Kate?" he asked casually. "I'm trying to get Lee fixed up with someone. He's been alone and miserable too long since Lacy. You know anyone that won't rip his heart out?" He knew Lee would kill him for intervening, but he had to do something.

Kate was very taken aback by this question. She was instantly on alert because she knew how close Barney was with Lee, so did Barney know something? Was he trying to figure something out?

"Um," she started, buying some time. How did she answer this? She had to be careful. "I don't really have many friends. I keep mostly to myself."

"I see," Barney said. "Well, that's all right. I've got an eye on someone for him anyway."

"Oh yea? What's her name?" Kate asked. She hoped he was squirming.

"Dina," he answered instantly. Kate faltered. That was awfully quick. Maybe there really was a girl named Dina?

"She sounds Italian," Kate commented.

"There's some of that mixed in her for sure," Barney nodded. "She's a friend of a friend. She's in town visiting."

"Oh."

"You know, the thing about Lee is this," Barney went on. "He's chicken shit when it comes to baring his heart and soul to people. Once he's hurt, he doesn't let anyone else in, even though he likes them."

Kate was quiet. Was this a message for her? Was he trying to tell her something?

"I see," she said.

Barney watched her from the corner of his eye carefully as they drove on. He detected some disappointment over Dina, and he hadn't made her up. He had a new plan that he was going to set into motion here very soon. It would either push things or it wouldn't. Kate didn't say another word for the rest of the drive, and that spoke volumes to Barney.

...

"Ugh, you win!" Kate cried from the ground. Lee was panting above her. They were sparring again.

"Come on," he coaxed. "You almost had me there. You really did."

"Yea right," she retorted, pushing herself up onto her elbows. She had to admit she was a bit distracted, though. She kept thinking about Barney setting Lee up with this Dina person.

"You have a pattern, Kate," Lee told her. "That's why it's easy for me to knock you down. You have to change things up."

"Tell me this pattern. I don't know I'm doing it," she said. Lee extended his hand and pulled her to her feet.

"All right," he said. "Go to hit me."

She obeyed.

"Right there," Lee said when she raised her arm to do a right hook. "I know you're going to lead with that."

"Seriously?"

"Then you're going to try to knee me with your left knee followed by a jab from your right arm again. You do a spin attack and try to land your right foot on my face. Then you try to get me into a headlock," Lee finished.

"How do you know this?" she demanded.

"Like I said, you have a pattern."

"All right then smarty pants," she said, narrowing her eyes and getting into fighting position. Lee braced himself, and she made to move right only to come swinging with her left, catching him in the jaw. He stumbled. She didn't let up and came at him with a shove to his shoulders and then put her left foot behind his right leg and pulled. He tripped but stayed standing, and he caught her right arm and twisted around her quickly. She elbowed him and threw her head back into his face, making him yelp. When she turned to see if he was okay, he knocked her down hard.

"Asshole!" she shouted. "I was seeing if you were okay!"

"Are you going to do that with a bad guy?" Lee asked, wiping at his nose. Blood came off in his hand.

"No, but..."

"Then you don't do it with me."

Kate looked up at him and sighed. Lee just kept staring at her, waiting for her to get it.

"All right," she agreed. She got up. They started again. She kept changing it up like he told her, and eventually she threw him down.

"Ha!" she gloated, looking down at him. He grinned back.

"You finally got me," he nodded. She held out her hand, and he took it. Once on his feet again, he noticed how tired she was.

"Again?" she asked.

"I think that's enough for today," he answered.

"There's something I want to learn first," she said quickly.

"What's that?" he asked. She hesitated. It seemed ridiculous, but she couldn't stop having nightmares about the time Ted, the so called good guy law enforcement worker who had been working for the cartel, had strangled her.

_You did this to yourself, you hear me?_

If Alejandro hadn't saved her, she would be dead. She knew it.

"How do you stop someone from strangling you?" she asked. Lee looked at her carefully, puzzled. She hadn't told him about the incident. She didn't want to upset him further from the wounds she already had.

"Are you speaking from experience?" he asked. Of course he figured it out. He was smart. It was one of the things she liked about him.

"Maybe," she answered. She chewed on her lip.

"All right," he said, moving closer to her. "I won't actually press down, but I will tell you how to get me off."

"Okay," she whispered. He moved his hands to her neck, and she flinched openly.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. She nodded. She couldn't help but think about Ted, how he had been determined to kill her yet looked almost sad doing it. Her breath quickened, and she felt panicked. She closed her eyes.

"Kate, I need you to open your eyes," Lee said. She obeyed, but there were tears in them.

He wanted to wipe them away, but that would be too intimate.

"I'm not doing this," Lee said instead, removing his hands.

"No," she said. "I need to learn this. I have to."

"It's not in my nature to scare women," Lee said, crossing his arms tightly.

"Then show me," she insisted. She put her hands around his neck carefully. "Show me how to get out of it."

"Were you actually standing?" he asked, trying not to think about her hands on his neck.

"No," she shook her head.

"If we're going to do this, it's going to be done right," he said. "Show me what happened." She released him and hugged herself. The night came back full force in her mind. She remembered thinking that she was going to die looking at this horrible man above her.

"He had me on the floor," she said carefully.

"Okay," Lee said. He got down onto his back. "Then what?"

"He was...he was like this," she said, kneeling above him and putting her hands on his neck again.

"Okay," Lee nodded. "Then you do this." He moved his hand up just past her elbow and squeezed hard while putting his other hand in her face, pressing a thumb into her eye.

"Ah, okay!" she yelped, releasing him.

"It's hard in the moment to remember a person's weak spots, but always go for the eyes and whatever available pressure points you have access to," Lee said. "If you surprise them, they let up, and then you can move out from it." She sat back as he sat up.

"I just remember the panic," she said quietly. She had had her hands on Ted's face at one point, she remembered that. Why hadn't she gone for his eyes? Why hadn't she remembered the pressure points?

"Panic destroys the mind," Lee nodded. "It's best to remain calm because letting panic take over is a guarantee you're going to do badly and probably wind up dead."

"What about a choke hold from behind?" she asked. "If we were standing?"

"Go for the stomach with your elbow. Try to kick the pressure point just above the knee if you can, and you can also go limp and pretend to be unconscious so when he lets go, you strike again."

"Okay," she nodded. "Thank you."

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"Did Alejandro do that to you too?"

"No, no. It was...it was some guy Reggie knew who I was trying to hook up with. I didn't realize he was working for the cartel until he was back at my apartment."

"Geez, Kate."

They looked at each other for a moment, and Lee felt a strong urge to hold her. Her phone rang then, and she saw it was Toll. Lee saw too. He got to his feet.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered. She answered her phone, standing up and walking away. Lee closed his eyes and sighed. This was just getting harder and harder.

...

"I have someone who wants to meet you," Barney said to Lee later. Lee was trying not to think about where Toll and Kate had gone for their date. It wasn't working.

"Oh yea?" he said, half listening.

"Yea. Her name's Dina. She's just looking for a night out," Barney went on. "She's had a rough go of it lately with her husband leaving her and all."

"I see what you're doing," Lee noted.

"What? I'm asking you to just get her out for a night is all."

"No."

"It's not a date, I swear," Barney said. "She's not into dating right now. She just wants to have fun."

"I don't do fun."

"You got some fun in there somewhere," Barney insisted.

"I said no."

"Christmas, go out and have some damn fun," Barney ordered. "She is not expecting a date. She is not expecting anything. You are two people going out and having fun. Can you manage that?"

Lee turned one eye towards his friend and gave him the stare down. What was going on here? Barney had an ulterior motive, he just knew it.

"Just fun, huh?" he commented.

"Just fun. Nothing else."

Lee had no idea what made him decide to agree. Maybe he did just want to go out and not think about Kate for a while. Being with someone else might help with that.

"Fine."

"Atta boy!" Barney crowed, clapping his shoulder. "Who knows, maybe it'll get your mind off of Kate."

"It's not on Kate."

"Do we have to play this game every time?" Barney asked, exasperated.

"No," Lee shook his head. "I'll go. Where am I meeting her?"

Barney gave him the address on the piece of paper.

"She knows that a short, moody Englishman is coming to hang out with her," he told Lee.

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome."

Lee took the paper and left, wondering just what the hell he was doing, but then again, maybe it was time to move on from Kate. She was clearly moving on from him, if she even liked him to start with, which he was seriously doubting right now. His head was ready to explode from all the thinking and going in circles. Barney was right. A night of fun couldn't hurt at all.

...

"It's Lee," Toll said, incredulous. Kate looked over her shoulder to see Lee walk in and meet a woman at the bar. They started chatting. She just knew it was Dina from the look of her. So Barney hadn't been bluffing. He had forgotten to mention that Dina was stunning.

"Wow," she said, swallowing. "He's got a date."

"It's about time. The poor guy's been shattered over Lacy for far too long," Toll said. He was just relieved that Lee was moving on. It meant that he wasn't stuck on Kate either, if he ever had been. Toll still wasn't sure about that.

"Good for him," Kate said absently. Lee was smiling at this woman, and the woman was smiling back. She hated the wrench in her heart at this. If this was Barney's plan all along, then it was working. Sneaky bastard.

"So what did you think of dismantling bombs?" Toll asked, changing the subject. They had done this together earlier in the day after Barney had brought her back and before she had spent time with Lee again.

"It was interesting. It's not something I want to do, though. No offense, but it scares the shit out of me being that close to an explosive," she answered, laughing a little. Her mind then flashed back to the house when the bomb had gone off, throwing her down and killing the other law enforcement officers, before she met Alejandro.

"I get it. It takes a special sort," Toll agreed.

Lee was now drinking with this woman. Kate did her best to stop taking peeks over there, to keep her focus on Toll. Did Lee even know she was there? It didn't seem that way. He was way too relaxed. She had noticed that he seemed almost on edge around her lately.

"Pool table's clear," Toll noted. "Still wanna do a round?"

"Sure," she nodded. The distraction would be good. She followed Toll and took the pool stick from him and watched him set up. She took one look behind her again to where Lee was standing, and her heart jumped when she saw him staring right at her. She gave a small smile before turning back to Toll. She'd give anything to know what he was thinking right now.

...

_Son of a bitch_, was what Lee was thinking_._ He couldn't believe his rotten damn luck. He agreed to go out and have fun, and there was Kate and Toll right there having their date. If Barney had something to do with this, he'd kill him.

"I haven't gone out in at least ten years," Dina was saying. Lee had to give Barney credit. The woman was stunning. She just had a lot of baggage. Then again, who didn't?

"So what do you want to do?" he asked. "Since it's your first night out in ten years?"

She smiled, flushing a little.

"I used to love pool," she said, looking wistfully at the tables. "I played with my Dad all the time before he died."

"Yea?"

"Yea. Is that really cheesy or what?" she asked, laughing.

"Not at all," he assured her. "Come on."

"But...they're taken," she said, following him hesitantly. Lee surged forward.

"Excuse me," he said to Toll, who looked up at him. "Mind if we join in?"

"Um...sure?" Toll answered, feeling confused.

"You know him?" Dina asked.

"Yea. This is my pal Toll. We work together," Lee explained. "This is Dina." He intentionally left Kate out. He wasn't sure why he was angry at her. He felt she somehow knew he was trying to move on and made sure she had a front row seat, but he was fairly certain she couldn't have known. Not unless Barney had told her.

"Nice to meet you," Toll responded, reaching to shake her hand.

"That's awesome!" Dina said enthusiastically, shaking it. "What are the odds?"

"What are the odds indeed?" Lee echoed, finally looking at Kate. She didn't respond.

"I'm Kate," she said instead, facing Dina. "Toll's date." Her emphasis on "date" was pointed.

"Nice to meet you, Kate," Dina beamed. Kate couldn't hate this woman. She was too nice. Toll handed Lee and Dina sticks, and Lee chalked his tip a little excessively.

"So, us against you guys?" Toll asked, clarifying.

"Yup," Lee answered.

"This is so exciting," Dina said. "Thank you for letting us play you."

"Anytime," Toll smiled. Kate could tell he was slightly annoyed, though. Their date was getting crashed, and he knew it. She knew it too. Lee purposely avoided eye contact with her.

"You can break," Lee said to Toll, who obliged. Kate put her focus on the game, but it was hard when Dina kept giggling and Lee kept egging her on and making a point of touching her frequently. Kate missed easy shots, and it was frustrating her because she was actually good at pool.

"It's all good," Toll said, trying to reassure her. He was doing great for the both of them, but it was clear who was going to win. It was down to the eight ball, and it was Lee's shot. Kate knew he was going to get it unless she did something drastic. If it was a game he wanted, then a game he was going to get. She went over to Toll and planted a deep kiss on him. Surprised, Toll let it happen, and Kate could just feel the air change in that moment.

"Awww you were so close," Dina said. Kate pulled back to see Lee had indeed missed the shot.

"Damn," Toll said. "I figured you had that one, Lee."

"So did I," Lee commented, looking at Kate. "But sometimes things don't always end up the way we want them to."

Kate gave him a defiant look back while Toll made the shot and won the game.

"Good game," Dina said, clapping. Kate suddenly did hate her in this moment. Her perkiness was annoying.

"You wanna get out of here?" Lee asked her. Kate stiffened.

"Where did you have in mind?" Dina countered.

"Wherever the car takes us," Lee answered.

"I'm in," Dina said instantly. "Thanks for the game, Toll...Kate." She smiled at them both before sliding her hand into Lee's and walking out with him.

"He's definitely getting lucky," Toll commented once they were gone. Something about this broke something inside Kate then, and she didn't even know why. Why were they playing a game with each other? What was the point? Lee had made it clear they were just friends, so why flaunt a woman in her face the way he had? Why say what he had said?

"If it's okay with you, I'm going to call it a night," she said. "Today wore me out."

"Yea, sure," he nodded. "I'll take you home."

She grabbed her coat from the chair and walked out behind him. She felt like crying. Here was a perfect gentleman in front of her, someone who was decent and sweet, yet all she could think about was Lee with someone else.

...

Lee dropped Dina off at her place after they finished their walk. She had thanked him for a fun night and for being the last perfectly good gentleman on the planet. Lee drove home thinking about the evening. It had been fun, but he wasn't interested in Dina. He knew he had taken it too far, though, when he did his stint with the pool game in front of Kate. What possessed him to do it, he had no idea. Maybe it was to let her see what it was like to have him be with someone else. Maybe he thought it would provoke something inside of her if she really did secretly like him. Maybe he was just being more of an idiot than ever.

"Hey, Merlin," Lee said, seeing the cat in the corner as he came inside his place. He set down his keys and raided his fridge for a beer. Before he could sit, though, someone was knocking at his door. Puzzled, he sauntered over to it.

"Kate," he said, surprised to see her. She had her black leather coat on with the same outfit she'd been wearing at the bar.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

"What was what?"

"Stop playing games with me," she ordered. "What were you doing tonight?"

"I was on a date," Lee answered. "I didn't realize that was a crime."

"You were rubbing it in my face. Why?" she challenged.

"I wasn't."

"You were. Why?" she asked again.

"I honestly didn't intend for it to look that way. I guess what is confusing me is why you care?" he countered. He put it back on her. Let her tell him.

"I don't," she said.

"Really. So you're over here upset and yelling at me after midnight for no reason," Lee commented.

"I asked you if you were okay with me dating Toll, and you said yes, remember?"

"I remember."

"Were you lying?" she asked. She had to know. That is what this all had to be about.

"No," he lied.

"You just lied again," she pointed out.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

"The truth!" she shouted before closing her eyes and taking a breath. She tried again. "I just want the truth, Lee."

"The truth is that I'm very happy for you and Toll," Lee said. She stared at him, trying to understand why he was doing this.

"Really. That's what you really feel?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. There was no going back now. Why he couldn't just tell her the truth he had no idea. Well, he did know. Kate scared the hell out of him. The fact that he had such strong feelings towards her scared the hell out of him. If it failed, he would hurt way worse than he had when Lacy left him. He couldn't do it. Why he thought he could watch Toll be with Kate was beyond him because it also hurt. He really was just so confused about it all.

"Okay," Kate said, feeling sad inside that he kept lying to her. She didn't understand it. "So tonight was not you trying to make me jealous."

"No."

Kate said nothing else. She was tired. She was emotionally drained.

"I'm sorry," he offered. She knew he was apologizing for way more than just his actions that night. He was apologizing for lying to her, for not letting himself tell her how he really felt.

"We're good," she said, knowing it was what he wanted to hear. It was the way it had to be. She had to let herself move on from him because having Lee to be honest with her was clearly not happening, and if he couldn't even be honest about his feelings, then how could she trust him to be honest about anything? She turned to leave without saying goodbye, and she felt him watch her walk all the way to her car. She didn't look back, and she didn't wave. She had no idea how their relationship was going to be moving forward. She had no idea at all.

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**If you have time to leave a review, I'd appreciate it :)**


	9. Just Friends

A few days later, Lee woke up with a dry mouth and a headache. He had tossed and turned all night. Kate's face remained in his mind, the way she had looked when he had lied to her again the other night. He didn't really know how he was going to face her, which was why he hid in his apartment the last few days. Today, he knew he had to get up. He forced himself up and into the shower. He forced himself to eat. After debating what to do for hours, he forced himself to get on his bike and head over to her place. He had to talk to her. What he was going to say, though, he had no idea. When he arrived, she was gone. He stood looking at her apartment until he decided to just carry on to Tool's. He had nothing else he wanted to do that day. Barney would want to hear about the big fun night anyway, so he might as well get it over with.

"Have I told you how much of an id..." Barney started after Lee had finished talking.

"Don't say it," Lee cut him off. "I already know, okay? You repeating it is only making me feel worse."

Barney sighed, shifting his coffee mug on the counter top. They were sitting in the small kitchenette Tool had built in the shop.

"So what are you gonna do now?" he asked instead.

"I don't know."

"Did I mention that she's here?"

"What?" Lee asked, snapping his head up. "You saved that for last? What is wrong with you?"

"You didn't exactly give me a chance to tell you," Barney noted.

"I'm out of here," Lee said, moving quickly off of the stool and towards the door. Barney watched him go, and he felt bad for his friend. When Kate came along, he was still sitting there thinking.

"Was he here?" she asked, gesturing to the second mug beside Barney's.

"Yea. He's gone."

"I knew this was going to happen," she sighed, joining him. She leaned on the counter, her chin resting on her hands.

"Lee is like those critters you lure out of their hiding spot," Barney started. "You have to keep trying and trying, and the critter darts back a thousand times, but once they see you're genuine and won't snap their necks, they come to you and allow themselves to be touched by you."

"Okay, enough of your metaphors," Kate said, looking at him.

"Lee's a critter," Barney said, summing it up for her. "You gotta lure him out."

"Our friendship is damaged, and you're talking to me about critters," Kate said, incredulous.

"You two and the friendship talk," Barney sighed. "It's very annoying."

"I'll settle for that just so I don't lose him altogether," Kate pointed out.

"So you do like him."

"I don't know what I feel for him anymore to be honest."

"Have you talked to Toll?"

"No. That's the thing. He's an amazing guy, and I can't put all my focus onto him."

"Do you want to put your focus all on him?" Barney asked.

"I do," Kate nodded forcefully. "I really do."

"Right. I think you're lying to me too. Why does everyone think they can just lie to me?" Barney asked, annoyed.

"I'm not lying. I want to be friends with Lee again, and I want to date Toll."

"Liar."

"Stop, I'm being serious," Kate said.

"So you're telling me that if Lee came bustin' in here and grabbed you, kissed you, and professed his love to you, you wouldn't reciprocate?" Barney challenged. Kate got the visual stuck in her mind, but she forced herself to let it go.

"He wouldn't, and that's my point. I can't wait around forever for someone to make up their mind whether they can let me in or not," Kate said. "He's made his choice that he can't, so I will settle for being his friend."

"You're an idiot too," Barney groaned. "And what is Toll in all of this? Collateral damage?"

"No, he is someone that I genuinely like and could fall for."

"Could?"

"Will," Kate said firmly. She stood up then, and Barney looked at her seriously.

"You're making a mistake."

"I'm not."

"Kate..."

"I'm going to find Lee and sort this out," she said, waving her hand. "See you later."

Barney stared after her and just knew that all of this was going to end in a disaster, but he had no idea how to stop it.

...

Lee turned the knife over in his hand as he sat in his apartment. He had forgotten he had ordered it, and now it was here. With things going the way they were for him and Kate, he had no idea what to do with it. He'd been out all day and just returned now, hoping that if Kate had come looking for him, she'd missed him. Fate was not on his side that day, though.

"Lee?" Kate's voice called. She was standing outside his door, and he had no choice but to answer it.

"Yea?" he said, pulling the door open. The knife was in his hand, which was by his side.

"Can we just forget about the other night?" she asked. He surveyed her carefully. What was she asking for here?

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's forget about it all. Let's skip the night altogether and go back to being friends," she said. "I'm sorry I pushed you. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm sorry I thought you were trying to make me jealous when that wasn't the case. I want to erase it all and just start again."

"Just like that?" he asked.

"Yea," she nodded. "I'd rather be your friend than lose you altogether."

"Me too," Lee agreed. This was true. Not having her in his life at all was worse pain than having her in his life and being with someone else. He knew she was pretending to think he hadn't been trying to make her jealous when that was exactly what he had been doing. If she was going that far to get their friendship back, then he'd go with it.

"Okay," she said. "So...we're good?"

"We're good," he nodded, smiling.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the knife in his hand.

"Oh," he said. "It...it's actually for you."

"For me?"

"Yea. Like a graduation type thing. You've successfully completed your training with me," he said.

"That's very sweet of you," she said. "So...what is it?"

He handed the knife over to her. She took it carefully, her eyes widening. Lee had designed it with the creator and had the letter "K" carved into the handle as well as a vine of roses. He knew they were her favorite.

"Oh my God, Lee," she breathed. "You shouldn't have."

"Every knife thrower should have their own customized knife," Lee shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Well, I've never been given a more thoughtful gift," she said. "So thank you." She hugged him then. Lee didn't tense this time, and it took all he had not to let it linger.

"You're welcome."

"Did you want to grab some dinner?" she asked, stepping back. Lee knew it was her way of smoothing it all over, and he thought maybe it wasn't a good idea since he was still crazy about her, but for once, he decided to indulge himself.

"All right," he agreed. What could it hurt?

...

"What's got you in a twist?" Gunner asked Toll.

"Nothing," Toll answered. His leg was vibrating, though. Kate wasn't answering his messages. She had told him she was having dinner with Lee, but that was almost two hours ago. Lee wouldn't do that to him, would he? Toll liked to think that Lee had more loyalty to their friendship than that. Besides, Kate didn't show interest in Lee, did she? He frowned, thinking.

"I know that look," Gunner insisted. "That is the 'I'm freaking out' look."

"I am not freaking out," Toll snapped.

"Sure you're not," Gunner nodded.

Toll didn't protest or argue. He simply got up and walked away. He thought back to the other night at the pool game. Toll had noticed Lee looking at Kate constantly. After a while, Toll got the feeling that Lee was trying to make Kate jealous, and why do that unless you liked the person? Toll's head hurt. Why didn't Lee just out and say he wanted to be with Kate? Why stuff it down? And did Kate like Lee? He couldn't think of any tell she had given that said this, but it didn't stop him from worrying.

...

Kate and Lee were walking together along the street. Lee had to keep telling himself all night that he was not on a date even though it sure as hell felt like one. They had done their best all night to keep the Just Friends hat on, but it was ready to pop off. Maybe Lee was crazy to think he could just be friends with her. Maybe this whole thing was ridiculous, and he should just let her go and be out of his life for good.

"You're quiet suddenly," he said to her.

"I just got thinking about my parents," she replied. It was a lie. She was thinking about Liam.

"You miss them?"

"All the time. I haven't gone to visit them in a while. I should."

"It wouldn't hurt."

"What about you? Where's your family?" Kate asked. She had to deflect or else she might spill about Liam. She didn't know why it was so hard to talk about, but the more time she was around Lee, the more she wanted to tell him.

Lee inhaled and exhaled slowly. He knew that was going to come eventually.

"My family is Barney and the gang," he answered.

"No parents or siblings?" she asked, startled.

"No," he lied.

"Oh."

"It's all right. I had a very different kind of upbringing," Lee told her. She had stopped walking then as they were at her door of her apartment.

"Are you really never going to tell me about Lizzie?" she asked. He inhaled sharply.

"I don't talk about her ever."

"Why not?"

"I don't talk about things that I lost," Lee told her after a moment. "It's too painful."

"That makes me feel sad for you," Kate said simply. "Knowing you lost someone in a painful way." _Like I did._

"Don't," he urged. "I'm really all right." They were standing there in the lamplight, and Lee felt the pull to kiss her again. Was that ever going to stop? Kate must have felt it too because she took a step towards him.

"Lee," she said. He allowed her to put her hand on his cheek. He allowed her to press herself against him. He allowed himself to put one arm around her, but then he saw Toll's face in his mind, and he couldn't do it.

"Good night, Kate," he said firmly, separating himself from her. Kate didn't stop him even though she really wanted to. This made her feel very guilty as she was dating Toll and had told Barney she would fall for Toll, so she should not be almost kissing guys who weren't the guy she was dating. The interesting part, though, was how far Lee had let her go before turning way. Maybe Barney was right. Maybe Lee was the critter. She went inside feeling confused and anxious. What was she going to do now? She guessed they would keep going on as friends, like they had agreed. She felt crazy for thinking she could handle it. Seeing that Toll had messaged her a lot, she finally answered him. Perhaps she needed to put more focus onto the guy she was dating. Maybe the rest of it would go away and soon. Maybe.

...

Lee found Toll on is doorstep when he got home. He felt cautious as he got off his bike.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Where were you guys?" Toll countered.

"It was just dinner, Toll," Lee answered, making to move past him. Toll held out his arm to stop him.

"Should I be worried?" Toll questioned.

"About what?"

"Don't play stupid with me. You know how much that annoys me," Toll growled.

"There is absolutely nothing to be worried about, Toll," Lee promised. "Can I go inside now?"

"I really like her, Lee," Toll blurted out.

"I can see that," Lee nodded.

"I just...I don't want this to be another incident where you get the girl I like," Toll went on. Lee closed his eyes. Of course. Lacy.

"Lacy pursued me," Lee started. "I didn't even know you liked her. You had one drink with her."

"Yea well, it feels like I'm always in second place, and I'm just tired of that," Toll said. "So, if you're planning on repeating history, can you just not?"

"I'm not going to do that," Lee told him. "I don't chase after girls my friends are dating. Come on, Toll, give me some credit."

Toll regarded him carefully for a moment.

"All right," he said finally. "I will take your word for it."

"Good."

They stood squared off until Toll moved to let Lee past. Lee went inside without another word, and Toll waited a moment before going to his truck and driving away. Lee stood in his place with his back leaning against the door and feeling very guilty for still wishing he had kissed Kate goodnight. He wished he had told her about Lizzie. He wanted to, but he was right in saying that it was too painful. Losing a sibling was not something he could easily talk about much less talking about losing his whole family. He'd keep it under wraps for now. If ever he found the right person aside from Barney, he'd tell them. For now, it was his and his alone.

* * *

**Next chapter they are all finally going on a mission! Things are gonna start happening. Stay tuned and don't forget to leave me a review :)**


	10. Going On a Mission

A few days later, Barney came into Tool's shop with an announcement.

"We have a mission," he said. The others still weren't back from their mission yet, so it was Doc, Toll, Gunner, Caesar, Lee, and Barney left. Kate sat up straight. Toll's arm was around her since they were sitting on the couch.

"Really?" she asked.

"I don't think you're ready," Barney said, knowing her thoughts.

"I disagree," she shook her head.

"She's ready," Lee chimed in. He felt Toll look at him, but he didn't look back. It wasn't Lee's fault Toll didn't step in and offer to do combat training with her. He spent a day with her teaching her about bombs. Whoop de doo.

"I don't know," Barney started. Kate stood and pulled out the knife Lee had given her. He loved that it was her prized possession. He remembered her face when he had given it to her. He thought about it all the time, same as their almost kiss on their not date.

"I'm ready," she said firmly, throwing the knife without looking and hitting the target dead center. Barney gaped at her, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline at her boldness and sureness. He looked at Lee, who nodded. Then he looked to see where her knife landed, and he started.

"Um, little help over here?" Tool asked. The others turned to see Tool's vest underneath Kate's knife in the target. His hands were full of a bowl of chips and a six pack of beer. How they had missed him standing there, Lee had no idea.

"What the hell, man?" Barney snorted.

"She didn't give any warning," Tool protested. "I ducked just in time, but my clothes didn't have time to come with me."

"I'm so sorry!" Kate exclaimed, rushing to pull the knife out. The others laughed while Tool assured her he was fine and that it wasn't his first close call.

"Yup, she's ready," Barney said to Lee. "Good job. You must be proud."

"Just doing my job," Lee shrugged.

"So where are we going?" Caesar asked amidst the hubbub. He didn't usually go, but when it was just the original gang, he sometimes went.

"Into the Rocky Mountains," Barney answered.

"For what?" Gunner questioned.

"We were asked to retrieve a hijacked truck. This truck has dangerous weapons on it."

"The driver?" Doc asked.

"He's part of a terrorist cell. If we don't get that truck, a lot of lives are in danger."

"Aren't they always?" Lee commented.

"Gear up," Barney ordered, ignoring Lee. Kate was bouncing beside Toll as he went to gather his things. Lee avoided Barney's pointed look behind Toll's back. It was time to go to work.

...

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked. Kate had called her because she needed to make things right between them in case something happened to her. She had almost called her a few times before but had chickened out. She stood in the back of Tool's place while the others got ready in the other room. She was already done and ready to go.

"Because I want to."

"Are you trying to be like Liam? Is that what this is?"

"No!"

"Look, I know he was your favorite sibling, and you were his favorite sister," Emma said, her voice cracking a little. Kate tensed. This was new.

"What are you talking about?" Kate asked.

"You two were always off and doing things together," Emma answered. "You were his Katie girl, and I was just Emma and Grace was just Grace. He didn't spend much time with us. I think, to be honest, he just tolerated me. I don't know how he felt about Grace, but she would probably tell you the same thing. I was so jealous of you two that after he died, I selfishly thought that maybe you and I would become close. I guess I was wrong."

"Emma..."

"It's fine. I got over it," Emma dismissed.

"Clearly not."

"Go do what you gotta do, Kate, but please don't bother me anymore. I know you only call because Mum makes you. I know you just tolerate me too."

"Emma!"

"Goodbye, Kate."

"Emma!" Kate shouted again, but her sister was gone. She stared at her phone, shocked by this news. Then she started to think back, and her gut sank as she realized her sister was right. When had she and Liam ever included her? Or Grace? When had Kate ever spent time with Emma and Grace when they were growing up? And yes, she called Emma after her mother prompted her to the majority of the time. Was she that horrible of a sister?

"Hey," Lee said, sticking his head into the room. "You okay?"

"I...I'm fine," Kate answered.

"It didn't sound fine," he pointed out. "Fight with your sister?" He knew her sister was Emma. She didn't talk much about her family with him, though, and he wondered why.

"She thinks I'm being stupid," Kate told him. "For doing this."

"Most people don't get it," Lee assured her. "Give her time. She'll come around."

"I hope so," Kate sighed.

"Let's go!" Barney shouted then. Lee flashed her a grin then.

"Time to show them how ready you are."

Kate smiled weakly back. The thing was, she didn't feel as ready as she had let on she was.

...

"Is there a reason all of us are going on this?" Kate asked, curious. They were in Barney's plane now.

"Yea. That driver is going to meet his buddies. We suspect they are all hiding up in the mountains together," Barney answered. "I'm not sure how many of his buddies are there, but I'm not risking going alone."

"Fair enough," she nodded. She looked over at Lee in the seat across from Barney. "Do you always get to sit there?"

"Yes," Lee answered.

"Why?"

"He's my right hand man," Barney answered for him. "That's why."

"So what does one have to do to earn the right to sit there?" Kate questioned. Barney looked at her seriously.

"They have to be Lee."

Lee snorted with laughter while Kate made a face at Barney.

"I get it," she sighed. She turned to go back and join the others. Lee resisted watching her go.

"You're still an idiot," Barney said without looking at him. "You don't deserve that seat right now."

"Shut up," Lee retorted.

Barney knew the agreement Lee and Kate had come up with, and he didn't like it. Why would they refuse to admit what they're feeling for each other? Barney wanted to intervene, but he didn't want to make it worse. He was waiting for the perfect moment. He knew something would come up eventually. It had to.

...

"Damn it's cold," Caesar said, pulling his coat tighter around him. He suddenly was regretting coming. They had landed and were gearing up for the hike.

"It's mountain weather," Barney responded. "What did you expect?"

"Not this," Caesar muttered. Everyone grabbed their gear and looked at Barney for further instruction. He looked back at them all thoughtfully.

"We will cover more ground if we split up," he declared. "Caesar and Toll, you cover this area." He handed them a map. "Gunner and Doc, you cover this area." They received a map as well. Toll looked at Lee and Kate, and Lee knew he was annoyed. Something had shifted between them since Lee's dinner with Kate. He felt Toll was suspicious of him, and he hated that Toll had every right to be.

"Lee, Kate, and I will cover this area," Barney said, pointing on his map. "We let the others know when we find that truck."

Lee knew exactly what Barney was doing, and he both hated and loved him for doing it. Toll begrudgingly went with Caesar while looking back at Kate a few times before they disappeared. Gunner and Doc headed on their way, and Barney turned to Lee and Kate.

"Shall we?" he gestured.

"I know what you're doing," Lee said when Kate got ahead of them.

"What?" Barney asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb. It's a terrible look for you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Barney said, sticking to his guns. Lee just sighed and shook his head. Barney smiled to himself when Lee started walking ahead of him. He didn't have to wait long after all for an opportunity to present itself. This was going to be perfect.

...

"What is with you?" Caesar asked Toll after a while. He was cold and impatient. He wanted to find the damn truck already, but Toll's obvious brooding was getting annoying.

"Nothing," Toll lied.

"It's Kate isn't it?"

Caesar was a little more perceptive than Gunner it seemed.

"No."

"You're a terrible liar, man," Caesar scoffed. He looked at Toll. "You worried or something?"

"I just thought we'd be together on our first mission."

"You worried Lee's gonna take her from you?" Caesar asked, getting to the point. He recalled Lee possibly liking this woman.

"Lee's not like that," Toll shook his head. "And they're just friends." He had convinced himself of this, and Lee had promised, but he still had his doubts.

"You sure about that?"

"I think so," Toll frowned, feeling worried that someone else was thinking it too. "Why? Did he say something to you?"

"No. I just see how she looks at him and how he looks at her. There's something there."

"No, there isn't."

"Dude, you gotta pay more close attention," Caesar instructed. Toll felt worried now. Did Lee really like Kate and had lied to Toll? Did Kate like Lee back? Was he that blind and oblivious to everything? Was he lying to himself that his suspicions were nothing?

"Lee's a good guy," Caesar went on, reading his mind. "He won't do anything to hurt you. It's her I'd be concerned about."

"What do you mean?"

"If anyone is gonna act on anything, it will be her, not Lee."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? That's the girl I'm seeing you're talking about," Toll said angrily.

"Look," Caesar said, stopping suddenly and making Toll stumble to avoid walking into him. "Kate is lovely, but I think she's confused as to who she really wants to be with."

"Not helping, man."

"She met Lee first, right? Didn't Lee say they almost slept together but he has his 'no one night stand' rule?"

"Yea..." Toll had forgotten about that part. Damn it.

"So do you really think that spark just died?" Caesar pressed. "You're sure it's not still there underneath the surface waiting to explode?"

"I never thought of that," Toll said, feeling stupid. "She really likes me, though."

"She does, yea. Like I said, she's confused. I just don't want you to get hurt if she figures it out, especially when it's too late," Caesar said, putting his hand on Toll's shoulder.

"So I should end it then?" Toll asked, feeling defeated. Did Lee always have to get everything?

"I think you should have a serious conversation with her," Caesar suggested.

"Well, if we get out of this bush alive, I will," Toll agreed.

"Sorry to make you think about this stuff," Caesar apologized.

"It's all right." He didn't add that he already had thoughts about Lee and Kate liking each other but dismissed them because Lee had sworn to Toll that he wasn't going to do that.

"You liked a girl and you went for it, man. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Come on. Let's find this truck and get out of here," Toll said, changing the subject. He didn't want to think about Kate and Lee anymore.

...

"I was imagining a bit more action on these missions," Kate commented as they stepped around rocks. Barney was ahead of them. Lee was in the rear with Kate in the middle.

"It's not all bullets and beatings, you know," Lee snorted.

"I'm seeing that now," she pointed out.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Lee told her. She just waved her hand.

"You can make it up to me later."

"Right."

And just how was he supposed to do that? He caught her smirk at him and felt that familiar shiver.

"Hey, guys," Barney said, stopping. "Tracks." They all stopped and surveyed the ground. There were indeed tracks leading to the left. They followed them until they stopped.

"Where's the truck?" Lee asked, looking around. "It can't have just disappeared."

"Maybe it can," Kate said, reaching out.

"What are you doing?" Barney asked sharply. She touched the space above the tire tracks, and her hand hit something solid. She looked at them.

"No way," Lee said. Kate tapped the metal.

"It's got the cloaking device on it that makes it blend into it's surroundings," Kate said. "I've heard of this technology."

"No shit," Barney said, impressed. Kate felt around before pulling open the door. Lee had to admit it was bizarre to see the inside of a truck while the outside of it was invisible.

"You turn it off in here," she said, flicking a switch. The truck slowly came into view then.

"Are the keys in there?" Barney asked. Kate looked.

"No," she shook her head.

"Hotwiring it is," Barney sighed. He opened the driver's side and got to work. "Radio the boys and tell them we got it."

"All right," Lee said. He pulled out his radio. "Hey, lads, we got the truck. Meet back at the plane."

"A'ight," Doc's voice answered.

"Ten four," Caesar's voice chimed after.

"Freeze!" voices shouted. Lee and Kate spun to see six men with guns aimed at them.

"Barney!" Lee yelled.

The truck started in response, and Barney popped up in the driver's seat.

"Get in!" he shouted. Lee shoved Kate up into the passenger's side with a surprising amount of strength and slammed the door shut behind her. He then fired off rounds while ducking the shots coming his way. Barney moved the truck to cover him, and he hurried to the back of it. Hiding among the bombs wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing. He heard Kate cry out as more bullets shattered the glass of the truck. Lee barely made it inside before Barney rammed the truck into high gear and sped away. Lee fell forward, grunting from the impact. He stayed down, praying the bullets wouldn't hit an explosive.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked. He looked to see her face through the window that separated the back of the truck from the cab.

"I'm good," he answered. "You?"

"Took one in the arm, but I'm fine," she told him.

"Is it bad?"

"No," she answered.

"She's lying," Barney said. "I'm gonna stop once we're clear so we can fix her up."

"It's fine, really," she insisted.

"Stop arguing," Barney ordered. She kept quiet then. Lee bounced along in the back for what felt like hours until Barney stopped. He got out and went around to Kate's side. Barney didn't bother hiding the truck with the invisibility device. They'd see the bush marks and tracks anyway. It was pointless.

"I'm really fine," she said again as he looked at her arm.

"Come on," he instructed. She obeyed as he led her to the front of the truck and got out his bag. He pulled out gauze and strips.

"It's still in there," she said. He pulled out tweezers and sterilized them quickly. She grimaced. Barney watched while keeping an eye out for visitors. He had intentionally parked beside a river to help cover the noise. Lee took her arm gently and examined the wound.

"It's gonna hurt," he said.

"I know."

"Brace yourself," he advised, going in with the tweezers. She grunted and growled with pain but didn't make anymore noise than that. Lee pulled it out in ten seconds flat and tossed it. Then he went to work on cleaning the wound and wrapping it. After ten minutes, he was done. He had to admit he was impressed at her ability to not scream from pain.

"Good as new," he said, putting it all back into his bag.

"We ready?" Barney asked.

"Yup," Lee replied. They heard voices shouting then.

"Shit," Barney growled.

"I'm sorry," Kate said, feeling it was her fault.

"What's the plan?" Lee asked Barney, who was thinking. He hurried around to the back of the truck and looked inside. He gathered the important looking plans and documents that appeared to be the destinations for the bombs as well as the detonators and handed them to Kate.

"What?" she asked.

"Put them in your bag and go. Meet at the plane. They'll still think it's in the truck."

"But the bombs are in the truck," she protested.

"They're no good if no one knows where they're supposed to set them off or if they can't set them off," Barney pointed out. "Just get going!"

"Okay," she said.

"By herself?" Lee asked, incredulous.

"I'm not a complete asshole. Go with her," Barney said, shutting the door and starting the truck. Lee took off after Kate, the voices still coming. She turned to see him when he reached her.

"Is he going to be all right?" she asked.

"He'll be fine," Lee answered. He hoped to God he was right.

And just when things couldn't get any worse, Kate broke through brush only to find it was the edge of a cliff. She cried out, losing her balance and toppling over. Lee threw himself onto his stomach to try to grab her, but she was gone. He noticed it was not a very high ledge, but she had fallen down it all the same.

"Kate?" he called. He couldn't see her. He slid down after her, narrowly missing the river at the bottom. There was a very small ledge that separated land from water. If one wasn't able to see this or if one had lost momentum, they wouldn't be able to stop from going into the river. That's when his blood ran cold because ahead he could see her head bobbing in the water going down the river.

"Kate!" he shouted, racing alongside the shore as best as he could. "Kate!"

He could see her going under and coming back up, struggling to stay afloat. He was almost caught up with her, and he knew he was going to have to go in after her. She wasn't strong enough to fight the current let alone with a wounded arm. He flung off his backpack, knowing it would weigh him down and drown him if he kept it on, and went to jump in. That's when he noticed the river led to a waterfall. He almost let panic take over. Almost.

"KATE!" he shouted again. And without even thinking or having regard for his own life, he jumped in after her.

* * *

**Just FYI, I borrowed the whole cloaking device idea from the movie I Spy (Eddie Murphy & Owen Wilson). Please don't criticize. It is just fiction after all.**


	11. Let's Talk About This

Kate was pretty sure she was going to die. If it wasn't by drowning, then it was going to be from the drop of that waterfall she saw approaching. She felt sad that it was going to end this way, but she knew that getting involved in being an Expendable could end in death. She just imagined it would be going down in a gunfight or something, not drowning. The backpack was bringing her down, she knew it, but she kept it on because it had the plans and detonators in it. She didn't want the bad guys to find them. Then again, they'd find them on her corpse anyway, and they'd be ruined from the water. Her brain wasn't really functioning properly at that moment. The water was freezing cold, and all her efforts went into not drowning, which was proving difficult when her arm was killing her from getting shot. Then, as if by a saving grace, a branch came upon her, and she automatically reached for it. She didn't know how strong it was or if it would even hold her for very long, but it would delay things for the moment. She was almost to the edge of the waterfall.

_I'm not ready_, she though. She wasn't ready to die. She had so much more she wanted to do.

And then, he was there. Somehow he was there, saving her again.

"Kate?" he said loudly. She opened her eyes, and she saw Liam was right there, holding onto the branch with her. She closed her eyes again. She was very cold.

"Kate, stay with me," Lee ordered. He grabbed her chin and gave her head a small shake, and she opened her eyes again. "Listen to me, this isn't how it ends, all right? I need you to put one arm in front of the other and pull yourself towards shore. Got it?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"Go," he commanded. He helped her get turned towards shore, and she put one hand in front of her and tried to pull. Her fingers slipped. Lee was behind her then.

"Can you hang onto me?" he asked. She nodded. "All right, good. Hang onto me tightly." She turned and grasped his shoulders, wrapping one arm around his neck tightly as instructed. She felt him exert himself trying to pull them both towards shore. She felt bad she couldn't help. Her limbs felt useless. She wondered how he was able to function in the cold. She wondered how Liam was there at all since he was dead. Was she hallucinating? Was he acting as a guardian angel?

"Almost there, Kate," Lee said into her ear. She didn't respond.

"Kate?" he said again. He had her face in his hands, fingers tugging at the corners of her eyes to open them. "Kate? I need you to grab the brush on the shore. It's right there." He turned her face so she could see. She didn't think she could grab it.

"Can you grab it? Kate?"

She really wanted to nod, to tell him she could do it. It was simple enough, but her body was frozen. The fight was leaving her.

"Shit," he said. "All right. Here goes." She felt him adjusting her until she felt him throw her as hard as he could. She landed on something hard and started to slip back down, but his hand was on her backpack, dragging her back up. He had jumped after her and stopped her from falling back in.

"Kate?" he asked, opening her eyes with his thumbs. "Can you hear me?"

"Li-," she managed to say. _Liam. _

"Okay," he said. He was shivering too, but he had to stay focused. "I'm going to go back for my bag, okay? I'll be right back." They weren't too far from it, and he had dry clothes in there as well as food. He had to make a fire. He had to warm her up. Kate didn't respond, and he knew she probably had the first, if not second, stage of hypothermia. That water was ice. He knew he was going to get it too if he didn't hurry up. He ran as fast as he could, finding his bag where he had left it and returning in what seemed like a long time. Kate was curled in a ball, shaking and shivering when he got back.

"Hey, Kate," he said, shaking her. "Kate, stay with me." She opened her eyes briefly and closed them again. He pulled off his sleeping bag from the outside of his bag (he never went anywhere without it after learning his lesson the hard way) and threw it open. He hesitated only briefly, but he knew that between modesty and life or death, he had to choose life or death.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I won't look much." He stripped her wet clothes off as fast as he could and awkwardly dried her off with eyes as averted as he could make them before he put her into the sleeping bag, zipping it around her. Then he wrung out her hair as best as he could and found his toque to put on her. He redid the bandage on her arm too. When he finished, he quickly changed, using a rag to dry himself off first. Then it was time to make a fire. He stayed calm all throughout the entire ordeal, and within fifteen minutes, he had a fire going. He hoped it wouldn't alert the bad guys to where they were, but he figured the rock wall behind them would hide the smoke for a bit at least. It was a risk he had to take.

"Shit," he said to himself once his heart rate returned to normal. This was not how things were supposed to go. He also couldn't stop thinking about Barney. Was he all right? Did he get caught? Would the others figure out what happened? Had they gotten caught too? The whole thing was a mess. His radio was no longer working either since his swim. He had forgotten to take it off before jumping in. He sat alone with his thoughts for a while until Kate startled him.

"Liam!" she shouted, making him jump. He looked over at her, and she was twisting her head around. "Liam, stop." Lee got to his feet, going over to her. Who was Liam?

"Liam, don't," she was crying now. "Liam, you're going to die."

"Kate," Lee said, gently shaking her. It seemed she was having a nightmare.

"LIAM!" she shrieked before jolting upright and gasping for air, making Lee fall back a little. Lee watched her try to breathe before he announced he was there.

"Kate?"

"Liam?" she asked, blinking at him.

"It's Lee," he corrected.

"Oh...of course," she nodded. She felt so stupid. Of course it was Lee who had saved her. Liam was dead. Emma was right. Lee did remind her of her brother, but only in a small way. They both had bravery and courage, and they both cared about her. She hugged herself tightly.

"You okay?" he countered.

"I...I think so. What happened?"

"You went for a little swim." He didn't mention her crying about Liam in her sleep. He didn't know why, but something was telling him that she would tell him when she was ready.

"Oh. Is that why I'm naked in here?" she asked, realizing. She took in the sight of her clothes draped around the fire as Lee had put them there trying to dry them off for her.

"Yea."

"Okay."

"I didn't look." He was still trying not to think about what he had touched while drying her off.

"I don't care if you did. You saved my life," she said, still looking at him. "I owe you for that."

"It comes with the job," Lee dismissed. "Everyone saves everyone at some point."

"Well, when it comes to my turn saving your life, we'll be even," she commented. He chuckled at this.

"Okay," he agreed.

"Where are the others?"

"I don't know."

"Is Barney okay?"

"I don't know."

"Are we out here all night?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know much do you?" she asked.

"At this point, no I don't. Let's just focus on getting dry and warmed up, okay?"

"Okay."

She settled back down and looked up at the sky, which was growing dark. She tried not to feel afraid. After all, she was with Lee, and he just proved to her that he could pretty much do anything. She looked at him again sitting over by the fire. Her nightmare was still very vivid in her mind. It was the same one she always had aside from Ted strangling her. It was more of a memory really. Liam's fall was always in slow motion in her dream, his eyes staring up at her when he was on the ground. She blinked. Lee looked at her again, and there was something in his eyes that seemed empathetic. Had she talked in her sleep? Had he heard her?

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yea," she lied. "I'm fine."

...

"Where are they?" Toll asked when Barney showed up with the truck alone. He had fought off the men, using the truck as his weapon. Most people didn't survive getting run over, especially when they got run over twice.

"They're supposed to be here," Barney answered.

"They're not here," Toll said obviously. He felt scared. Was Kate all right?

"Something's happened," Gunner noted. He could feel it.

"What do we do?" Caesar asked Barney.

"We're not leaving them behind," Toll interrupted.

"We can't be sitting ducks here either," Doc reasoned. "The bad guys know we're here."

"We can't leave them behind!" Toll insisted.

Barney knew something was wrong almost immediately after they had split up. Lee hadn't answered his radio. All he got was a bunch of static.

"If you wanna stay here and find them, go ahead. We gotta get these bombs outta here," Barney said. "That's our job." He was loading the plane with the bombs with the help of Caesar, Doc, and Gunner.

"He wouldn't leave you behind," Toll argued. Barney didn't want to leave Lee behind, but he knew Toll was wrong. If it came down to millions dying versus two, Lee would make the same decision Barney was. At least, he thought that was what Lee would do.

"I'll stay with Toll," Gunner offered. "You, Doc, and Caesar get those bombs out of here."

Toll gave Gunner a grateful look. They were done loading the plane by now.

"All right," Barney nodded. "Keep in touch. I'll come back once I'm free and clear to give you a ride home. Should be tomorrow."

"Good luck," Doc said to them as he boarded behind Caesar. The plane started, and Toll disappeared into the brush with Gunner. They were going to wait in hiding for a bit in case Lee and Kate showed up.

...

"Lee?"

Lee snapped his eyes open, and his gun automatically went to the intruder's face in front of him. Kate gasped. Once his brain caught up to him, he saw her crouching in front of him with her eyes squeezed shut and his gun under her chin.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he said, pulling it back quickly. "You scared me."

"It's okay. I shouldn't have startled you," she said. Her mind was catapulting her back to when Alejandro had his gun jammed under her chin, making her sign the forms. She forced it to stop. Lee was just acting on reflex. That was all. He wouldn't hurt her.

"You okay?" he asked, finally seeing her. She was standing in front of him wearing one of his long sleeve shirts. He swallowed when he noticed she was not wearing anything else, and his shirt barely made it halfway to her knees.

"I'm just really cold, but my pants aren't dry yet, so I was hoping you'd have something," she said. "I borrowed your shirt. Is that okay?"

"That's fine," he nodded. He stood up and went digging through his bag. She stood close to the fire while she waited. He had nothing else, so he turned to look at his clothes drying by the fire. He didn't mind wearing damp clothes if it meant she would be warm.

"What are you doing?" she asked when he took off his pants.

"I'm not seducing you, if that's what you're thinking," he told her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head. He ignored the question and pulled his semi dry ones back on, handing her his dry pants.

"They might not fit, but you can tie this around it," he said, showing her some rope.

"Okay," she agreed. He averted his gaze as she pulled his pants on. He refused to let his mind wander to whether or not she was wearing underpants. He hadn't looked to see if they were still on the branch he'd put them on.

"They're not too bad, but I do feel a bit like Tom Sawyer," she joked as she tied the rope through the belt loops.

"Well, you're better looking than Tom Sawyer that's for sure," he laughed. He stopped when she looked at him.

"You think I'm good looking?" she asked.

Shit. And he had walked right into it.

"Oh, no. I'm not getting into that trap," he said, detouring the conversation from where it was heading.

"What trap?"

"Lacy did that to me. She'd ask me my opinion about something, and when I answered, she bit my head off. No way," he shook his head. Kate moved closer to him then.

"You know," she said quietly. "Not everyone is like Lacy."

"I'm not really willing to find out," he confessed.

"That's too bad," she said. "You might miss out on something really amazing."

His whole body screamed at him to pull her close and kiss her, but he couldn't do that to Toll. He just couldn't.

"You might be right," he agreed. Then he turned away and sat back down on his log. He couldn't help but notice her expression and the disappointment there.

"Do you think the others left?" she asked after a while. She sat down on a log away from him.

"Probably. Barney would be stupid not to get those bombs out of here," Lee said.

"Do you think Toll left too?"

"He probably stayed to wait for us." Because Toll was a good and loyal friend, like Lee was trying to be.

"Is it me?" she asked suddenly. Lee looked at her then.

"Is it you what?" he questioned, confused. Kate inhaled slowly. She wasn't really sure why she was diving into this right now. It might have something to do with her almost dying and realizing what she really wanted. Probably, yes. He was waiting for an answer, so she started again.

"Is there just something about me that you don't like?"

"I'm not sure where you're going with this..."

"Don't you remember when we first met?" she said, leaning forward. "Was I the only one who felt that?"

Lee swallowed again. So that was what she was talking about. God help him.

"No," he shook his head. "You weren't the only one who felt it."

Kate met his eyes and refused to look away. Lee felt a whole bunch of different feelings inside at this point.

"So what happened?" she asked. "I mean, I get that you met Lacy, and I got married, but when we were both single after they left us, I kind of thought you'd come for me."

Lee was quiet for a while. He cursed his past self. Barney was right. He was an idiot.

"I didn't know how," he confessed. "And I was scared. I mean, I was supposed to marry Lacy, right? Then she just leaves me and says she doesn't love me anymore. What if...what if you did that too?"

She was luring out the critter. Barney was right. She couldn't believe it, but she didn't want to scare him back into hiding by coming on too strong.

"What if I didn't?" Kate asked gently. Lee made an exasperated sound.

"You're just like Barney, you know? He said the same thing over and over again. Then you met Toll..."

"I've had a few dates with Toll, yes," she agreed. "But that's just it, they're just dates. I'm not marrying him."

"I can't do that to him," Lee told her. "I know he feels like he's in the background all the time, and if I took his girl..."

"His girl?" Kate asked, incredulous. "I'm not something to be owned, Lee."

"No, I know that. I'm trying to say that Toll would kill me if I went after you," Lee finished. He let his hands fall to his knees. He was such a dithering idiot sometimes.

"I think he would understand," Kate reasoned. "We met first. We're friends. He has to know. Did he not hear about how we met?"

"Yea, but he probably figures that's water under the bridge now. It was seven years ago. Things change."

"So you're really just going to sit there and ignore the fact that I'm going commando in your pants right now?" she asked. Lee tensed. Good grief. She had to tell him.

"Yup," he nodded. "Cos I'm a good friend, and good friends don't steal other friends' girlfriends or dates, or whatever you want to call it."

"Okay," she said after a moment. Lee closed his eyes, feeling very frustrated with himself.

"When it's morning, we head back to where the plane was," he said.

"Sure," she agreed. His loyalty just made her want to be with him even more. She would have to talk to Toll after this, she knew it. He watched her get up and go curl back up into his sleeping bag, and he hated himself for being such a damn loyal friend.

...

"Let's start looking," Toll suggested.

"All right," Gunner agreed. "Radios working?" They might get separated, and Gunner liked knowing they could still communicate.

"Yup," Toll nodded, checking it.

"They'll be all right," Gunner assured him. Toll just nodded. He was more worried about them being alone together than anything, but he had to trust them. Lightning flashed in the sky, making them both look up.

"Great," Toll said sarcastically. "Wouldn't be a search party without a storm on top."

Gunner just chuckled to himself as they went off into the bush. He didn't mind a little rain.

...

The thunder woke Lee instantly. He looked up just as it started to pour rain.

"Come on," he growled. Like they needed to get wet again. Kate was awake by this point, and she jumped to her feet.

"What's your plan?" she called over the rain, which was becoming torrential almost. Lee shone his light around until he spied a dense spot under some pine trees. Kate followed him with the sleeping bag while Lee grabbed his backpack. They huddled under the trees, watching the rain. Some water still dripped through, but it was better than getting soaked. Lee rested his elbows on his knees and gripped his face with his hands.

"I'd kill for a cigarette," Kate sighed.

"That's what you're thinking about right now?" Lee asked, incredulous. He was cold. He knew she was cold. He cursed the whole mission, the damn mountains, the wretched river, and now this infuriating rain. He'd had enough.

"It's better than thinking about anything else," she commented.

"Right," Lee muttered. Kate dared to look over at him, and his face illuminated once in a while with the lightning. She shivered. She didn't like storms, especially with no roof over her head.

"Why do you even smoke anyway?" he asked. "It's not good for you."

"I just do."

"It'll kill you."

"So will this job."

"Why won't you tell me why?" he pressed.

"Because it's not important," Kate snapped. He raised a brow at her, and she swallowed. "I'm sorry. I get irritable when I haven't had a smoke."

"Another great reason to quit, but it's all right. I won't ask again," he said. They sat quietly as the storm got worse.

"Shit!" she gasped when a particularly bright shot of lightning struck close to them. She covered her head and ears just as the thunder roared. Liam had always checked on her when it stormed when they were kids. She would be terrified, huddling under the blankets, and he'd come with his flashlight and read comics with her to take her mind off of it. She kept her eyes squeezed shut. If she pretended she was there, then maybe it would help. No sooner than she thought any of this, Lee took the sleeping bag and pulled it over both of them to block it all out. He waited for her to notice and open her eyes, the flashlight in between them.

"Not a fan of storms, huh?" he asked, once she finally looked at him. She shook her head.

"How are you so calm?" she questioned. "About everything?"

"It's just something I've always done," he shrugged. More thunder crashed, and Kate inhaled sharply and cringed. Lee made up his mind and put his arm around her, letting her lean into him. It was dangerous territory, but he wasn't about to let her keep feeling afraid.

"I'm such a wuss," she tried to joke.

"I'm not judging," he told her. _I have fears too._ He didn't say this out loud, but she made him want to share his darkest fears and nightmares. She made him want to tell her everything.

"Lacy was a real shit for leaving you," Kate said eventually.

"I know that, but why do you think so?" Lee asked.

"Because you're so good," Kate answered, twisting to look at him. Lee felt cautious with her so close to him.

"Really."

"You're kind and generous. You're smart and funny. You are loyal. You are brave. You are...everything," Kate finished. "What woman is crazy enough to not want that?"

"I don't know," Lee answered. Kate reached to touch his face gently, and for a moment, just a moment, he let her. Then he carefully took her hand in his and removed it, putting space between them again.

"Lee..."

"No, Kate," Lee said. "I meant what I said. I will not do that to Toll."

"But you do feel something," Kate prodded. "I'm not imagining it, and you have been lying to me."

"I don't let people get close to me," Lee cut in. "People close to me get hurt or they hurt me. The only exception is Barney. The others are a close second."

"And me?" Kate asked. "Where do I fit on your scale?"

"I can't let you get close to me," Lee said, exhaling roughly. "If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

"I know exactly what that's like," Kate argued. "But I still need that closeness with someone."

"Get it with Toll," Lee shot back at her.

"I know you're lying to me when you say that," Kate responded. "You've hated it from the start. Why didn't you just tell me? Tell him?"

"For the reason I just told you," Lee answered. He grew anxious then, and he had to get away, to breathe. He pulled the sleeping bag off of his head and stood up. Rain be damned. Storm be damned. He needed to get out of there before he did or said something he'd regret.

"Lee!" Kate called after him. Lee didn't stop. He didn't know where he was even going, but all he knew was that he didn't want to be there.


	12. Better Late Than Never

**Trigger warning activated for this chapter.**

* * *

Just after dawn, Toll heard the movement in the bush first. They had been walking and searching all night, and then suddenly they were upon a camp. He signaled to Gunner, who nodded and cocked his gun. Within moments, Kate appeared into sight from under the trees.

"Lee?" she asked hopefully. "Oh, Toll. You found us."

"Thank God," Toll said, moving to hug Kate. He noticed she was stiff in his arms.

"You all right?" Gunner asked her.

"Yes, but Lee's gone," Kate answered anxiously.

"What?" Toll asked.

"He left in the night, and he hasn't come back. I think something has happened to him," Kate explained. Gunner and Toll shared a look with each other.

"When did he go?" Gunner asked her.

"It was still storming. I didn't see which way he went," Kate told him.

"They probably got him," Gunner said quietly to Toll.

"I can hear you," Kate said, disgruntled.

"Sorry," Gunner apologized.

"All right. We'll find him. I promise," Toll said to Kate, squeezing her shoulder. She gave a tight smile and a nod. If something had happened to Lee, she'd blame herself forever for chasing him away. She can add him to the list of people's deaths she blamed herself for.

Gunshots went off then.

"Shit," Gunner groaned. Toll grabbed Kate's hand and pulled her to cover. Gunner shot back.

"I'm not useless," Kate said angrily as Toll blocked her from the whizzing bullets.

"I know," he said. "But I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again."

Kate stood there looking at him, and she knew right there and then that her feelings last night were confirmed. She could not stay with Toll. She was flattered at being protected, but Toll wasn't letting her do her job, and she needed to be with someone who was able to let her work. She also needed to be with the person that she had feelings for, and right now her feelings were largely for Lee despite what she had originally thought and that was because she now knew for sure Lee had just as much feelings back for her. She felt bad. She couldn't fall for Toll like she had promised Barney. She dreaded hurting him, but now wasn't the time.

"I wasn't trained to sit out when there's trouble," she told him firmly. "Give me a gun." She had lost hers in the river unfortunately. Toll hesitated.

"Come on, man!" Gunner shouted at him. "Let her fight back! We need help!"

"Fine," Toll said, handing over his pistol. Kate took it and went to find cover that also gave her a vantage point. It was chaos until it grew silent.

"Did we get 'em all?" Gunner asked, looking at Toll.

"Somehow I doubt it," Toll answered. He tentatively stepped forward.

"Toll!" Kate shouted, seeing the man too late. She fired off a shot, but she missed.

"Urgh!" Toll grunted, being tackled and thrown to the ground. More men swarmed from the bush. Gunner and Kate did their best to keep them at bay while Toll fought with his attacker. He managed to fire his gun, and the man fell.

"There's too many!" Gunner shouted. About 20 men stood in front of them, guns raised.

"What do we do?" Kate asked.

"Surrender," Toll answered, putting his hands up. Kate was stunned when Gunner followed suit.

"Just like that?" she asked.

"If we wanna get out alive, yes," Toll answered. Before long, they were rounded up, disarmed, and taken away.

...

Barney, Caesar, and Doc returned to find no one waiting for them. They hadn't gone far to deliver the bombs. One of Barney's contacts had met them across the border and took the bombs from his plane back to where they belonged.

"Oh, that's not good," Barney commented.

"I've got a signal from Gunner's GPS watch thing," Doc called, scanning his tablet. Gunner had him using new technology too, thanks to the new kid, Thorn. He held it up for them to see.

"I have a feeling we're in for a big fight," Caesar stated. Barney just gritted his teeth and marched forward. He knew better than to leave his men behind. Now he was paying the price.

...

Kate was terrified. She imagined it wasn't the first time for Toll or Gunner to be captured and awaiting their fate, but it was for her. They were all pushed together into almost a huddle by their captors.

"Who is the leader here?" a white male asked as he appeared, his hand resting on his gun in it's holster.

"I am," Toll said without hesitation. Sometimes it was lucky being in the background, but today he had to step up for the sake of Gunner and Kate.

"Where is my truck?" the man demanded.

"It's long gone," Toll answered.

"Well," the man said. "Then we'll have to find out where it went." He snapped his fingers, and they were ushered towards what looked like a holding pen. Toll was kept behind. Kate felt frantic almost, knowing what was going to happen to him. He tried to look brave, but she could tell he was a little scared.

_Is this really what you wanted? _Liam's voice sounded in her ear. She shook her head hard. This was not the time to be having doubts of joining the Expendable team.

Gunner grunted when the door was slammed shut, and he and Kate were left alone. He tested the strength of the bars with his hands, thinking. Kate hugged herself and stood there feeling frozen and unsure of what to do next. Then, they heard a cough behind them. Both Gunner and Kate whipped around to see a figure slumped on the ground in the corner. Kate moved toward the person carefully, kneeling in front of them.

"Oh my God, Lee," she whispered, gripping his chin with her hand and looking at his face. He had been worked over for a long time it seemed. His face was bloody and bruised.

"Hey," he croaked.

"Not your day, huh?" Gunner asked, also kneeling beside him. Lee gave a small chuckle and then winced from the pain of it.

"Apparently not," he answered.

"What happened to you guys anyway?"

"Went for a swim. Tried to dry off but it kept raining like a bastard. Then I took off," Lee replied. "And now here we are."

"I'm so sorry," Kate started.

"My fault, not yours," Lee cut her off. He made to sit up straighter, groaning and wincing while doing so.

"Barney will be back today," Gunner said quietly.

"There's more of them than us."

"When has that ever stopped us?"

"Touche," Lee nodded. Kate pressed her hands on his chest, looking for broken ribs. He grabbed her wrists hard when she found one that made him give a strangled cry.

"Don't," he ordered, breathing heavily. "Just don't."

"You're probably bleeding internally," Kate said, feeling afraid.

"I know."

They could hear Toll getting worked over by this point, and Kate wanted to cry. She sat beside Lee, trying to stay calm. Lee watched her, knowing she probably had never experienced this before. He took his foot and rested it against her leg, trying to convey some kind of comfort to her. She rested her hand on his boot, but she didn't look at him.

"Come oooon Barney," Gunner said more to himself than anyone. Kate prayed he would come quick. She didn't think they'd survive this.

...

"Okay, it's time for another round," a voice said. Kate looked to see the man back, standing by their cell. He looked at her intently for a moment, and she just knew he was going to call her out.

"Her," he said.

Just perfect.

She was dragged out kicking and hitting for all her worth. Gunner sustained a blow to the face for trying to intervene. Toll was still being held across the way, but he did try to break loose only to get pounded on some more. It was Lee who managed to get to his feet and take out two of the guards before he was grabbed.

"So dramatic," the man sighed. "But I have to do this because none of you are giving me what I want. It's my experience that the woman breaks the easiest or else it makes the man break faster." He turned to look at Kate. "You understand. It's just business."

"Go to hell," she snarled at him.

"I already know that's where I'm going, sweetheart, and I'm quite all right with that," he smirked. He got serious again as he reached for his gun.

"Okay," he said. "Ever played Russian Roulette?"

Kate was silent as she watched him take out his bullets except for one. She quivered inside from fear as he rolled his barrel, locking the bullet into place.

"I'll take that as a no," he went on. "So here's the deal, you tell me where my truck is, and I don't shoot you. You don't tell me, and eventually you die."

"How about you pick on someone your own size?" Lee asked.

"Wrong answer," the man said, swiftly punching Lee right in the face, causing his head to snap back sharply. Kate inhaled sharply and bit down her cry.

"I've had better," Lee commented, looking back at the man. He was given another blow.

"You think you're funny, huh?" the man asked.

"Could I have another?" Lee countered. The man grabbed Lee's neck and slammed his knee into Lee's stomach, making him grunt and bend over panting. His broken rib had been nicked again, making him feel incredible pain.

"Stop it, Lee!" Kate shouted.

"Lee is it?" the man asked. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Mark."

"You hit like a girl," Lee replied. Mark slugged him again, making Lee start to bleed from his wounds again now.

"Shall we get on with it?" Mark asked, turning his attention towards Kate.

"She's a lost tourist. She's not with us," Lee said to him, stalling. "She has no idea about anything."

"Really?" Mark asked, not buying it. "A tourist you say? Armed and helping you fight?" Mark looked between Lee and Kate. His face showed amusement.

"A tourist with skills," Lee shrugged. "We got lucky."

"You're not a very good liar, Mr. Lee. In fact, you've just shown me your weak spot," Mark commented. "I now know how to make you hurt without even touching you."

"You have three punching bags right here," Gunner piped up. "Why her?"

Mark reached to touch Kate's face, making her pull away angrily.

"Because it's always fun to play with a girl," he answered. He raised his gun slowly. "Where's my truck?"

"I don't know," Kate answered.

The gun clicked. Kate flinched.

"Let's try again. Where is my truck?" Mark demanded. Kate tried to stay calm, but she was struggling.

"I said I don't know."

The gun clicked again.

"If I knew I would tell you," Kate added. "I swear."

"I'm sure," Mark sneered. "I know you're lying. Tell me, sweetheart, where is my truck?"

"I don't know!" Kate shouted. The gun clicked again, and she started to panic. She knew it was going to be a real bullet coming out of there soon.

"It's at the border," Lee blurted out, making Mark look at him. "You'll have time to catch it still, but you'll have to hurry."

Mark surveyed Lee carefully, and Lee never broke eye contact.

"At the border, you say?" Mark clarified.

"Yes," Lee nodded.

"How many men with it?"

"Three."

"What did I tell you? It works every time," Mark said, satisfied.

Kate knew that Lee had no idea where that truck really was, that he was lying. She hoped Mark would buy it long enough for Barney to come help get them out of this.

"Bring them," Mark instructed as he walked away. Kate and Lee were marched behind him. Toll was put in with Gunner, and Kate wondered just what was going to happen to them all.

...

"There's a lot down there," Caesar said quietly as he, Doc, and Barney surveyed the camp below them.

"We'll have to plan this out just right," Barney told them. "One wrong move, and we're all screwed."

"I hate to say this, but I wish the young'ns were here," Doc sighed. "We could use the extra bodies."

"We can do this," Barney said. "Once we get our guys armed, it's game over."

"I hope you're right," Caesar said, feeling a little worried "I'd still call for back up, though. Those kids would be handy right now."

"I already called them," Barney told them, loading his pistols. He just hoped they'd get here fast enough.

...

Mark stopped in front of a small cabin and went inside. Kate and Lee were settled into chairs and tied to them while Mark poured himself a coffee. It was clearly his office from the way he acted.

"Okay," he said. "Cut the shit. Where is my truck really?" Kate felt her heart sink. So he did know Lee was lying.

"At the border," Lee insisted. "What, you think I'd make that up?"

"Of course you would," Mark laughed. "It's what I would do if my girl was threatened."

"And why do you think she's my girl?" Lee questioned.

"Oh please," Mark scoffed. "Do I really have to answer that?" No one said anything, and Mark sipped his coffee for a moment.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Mark said after. "I've got GPS on it. I'll find it."

"So why beat them up then?" Kate demanded. "If you knew how to find it all along?"

"It's part of the game, darlin'," Mark drawled. "I like to have some fun with my guests. You two in particular."

He sighed then and finished his coffee. Lee was still staring at him, waiting. Mark might find his truck, but there was certainly not going to be any bombs in them. Either the thought didn't cross his mind, or Mark didn't care.

"It's been fun, and it's always amazing to see people care for someone else when they're getting hurt, but we gotta bounce," Mark announced. He stepped past them towards the door but paused in the doorway. "I should also say that I really loved the way you lied." He chuckled to himself and left. Kate tried to see behind her. She could hear voices outside, and for whatever reason, one of those voices sounded familiar to her. She just couldn't place it. Perhaps she was imagining it.

"He's just going to leave us here?" she asked.

"No," Lee answered, understanding Mark's last words and recognizing them as lyrics from a song. "He's gonna light it up."

"What?!" she freaked. The glass shattered from the only window in the room that was up high, and she could smell the fumes of gas as it was poured in. She struggled to free herself.

"Stay calm," Lee ordered. When the flames started, though, he had trouble keeping calm himself. Fire was what he was scared of. He was usually pretty good at keeping it inside, but he was tired and beaten and drained. It was hard this time.

"Shit, shit, shit," he chanted, straining hard. There was no give. He closed his eyes for a second. He had to stop the panic first before doing anything. He had to think.

"Lee," Kate said, trying not to cry.

"I got it," Lee said. He stood and awkwardly walked over to the desk, getting on top of it with a lot of effort.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked. The fire was growing quickly. Lee jumped and managed a front flip, smashing the chair into pieces on the floor when he landed. He made a strangled yelling noise from the pain, and he lay there feeling like he'd never be able to get up, but he knew he had to. He somehow managed to get up and keep moving. He untangled himself, ignoring the searing pain from his broken ribs as best as he could and quickly set to work on freeing Kate. Smoke was getting thick by this point. They were both coughing. Once Kate was free, she and Lee tried the doors only to find them locked. Lee did his best to break it down, but he wasn't strong enough. Even with Kate's help it was futile.

"We're gonna die," she said, starting to freak out. "We're gonna die in here, Lee."

"Stop it," he ordered. "Think!" He couldn't get near the window as the flames were right there and burning hot due to it being the entry point. Their only option was to go up. He surveyed the ceiling. There was a skylight he hadn't noticed before. Just their luck.

"Come on," he urged, pointing. Kate could barely think straight.

"Lee, I'm scared," she whimpered. He grabbed her shoulders, giving her a shake.

"You think I'm not?" he demanded. "You think I want to die? You think you're the only one feeling this way?"

"N-No," she stammered, shaking her head.

"Then snap out of it," he ordered. "I need you, Kate. You gotta stay calm. Help me." He released her and went to put her chair on the desk. It was almost there.

"It's not high enough," she said. Lee knew this, and he knew what he had to do next. He rooted around the desk first, finding a gun. He aimed at the skylight and shot the glass. The new air fueled the flames, which put more urgency on their escape.

"Get up here," he told her. "Come on. Now!"

She obeyed, climbing onto the chair with him.

"When I push you up, you climb out," he commanded.

"What about you?" she asked.

"Don't worry about me. You get out. Do you understand?"

"I'm not leaving you..."

"That's an order, Kate," Lee said, gripping her arms tightly. "As the Second in Command, you have to do what I say. Now, stop arguing with me."

Kate realized there was a very strong chance she wasn't going to see Lee again. It broke her heart. It made her want to stay and die with him, but she knew he'd never let her.

"Kate," he said loudly. "Now!" They were running out of time. He could barely breathe, and it was getting very hot in there.

"I love you," Kate said, grabbing his face and pressing her lips against his hard. Lee hated that their first kiss tasted of blood, dirt, smoke, and tears, but then again, it almost seemed to make sense. He forced himself to end it, but her hands stayed on his face, her forehead against his.

"Seven years too late," she lamented.

"Better late than never," Lee said. Then he forced her up onto his shoulders and up towards the window. She managed to grab the edge and climb through, sustaining some cuts to her hands from the broken glass. Then she hung down through the hole, extending her hand to him.

"Come on," she begged. Lee swallowed and shook his head. He'd never make it. He'd only succeed in pulling her back down in there with him, and he needed her to live. He stepped down from the chair, feeling his heart break when she started to scream his name. It was as he started to pass out that he realized he hadn't told her he loved her back, and that was the first time he realized just how much he did.

...

"Come on, come on!" Barney shouted as they ran towards the burning building. Galgo, Thorn, Smilee, Luna, and Mars had arrived in record time to help, having been close by on their other mission that was now wrapped up. They had killed many of Mark's men in no time. Mark himself had disappeared, and the rest of the men had disappeared with him. They rescued Toll and Gunner only to find Kate and Lee were missing. When they noticed the fire, they knew who was inside.

"KATE!" Toll shouted, seeing her on the roof. She was banging her fists and crying, screaming through the hole in the roof, and Barney knew that Lee was still inside. He didn't even think. He kicked down the now weak, burning door with all his strength and scanned the room until he saw the curled up body on the floor.

"Kate, you gotta jump!" Toll shouted up to her. She finally noticed them, and she hurried to the edge of the roof.

"Lee is in there!" she shrieked.

"Barney's got him. You gotta jump, now!" Toll ordered. "I'll catch you!"

Kate didn't hesitate as the building was starting to crack and show signs of collapse. She jumped, and Toll managed to catch her to break her fall, but they still ended up falling backwards from impact. They hurried to their feet, looking for Barney. Caesar and Doc were standing back, shielding their faces from the heat. Gunner was scanning for any signs of them. The others held their breath, waiting.

"There!" he shouted, seeing a figure coming through the door. Barney emerged, carrying Lee fireman style over his shoulder. He hustled away from the fire just as the building collapsed, and they all followed him. Barney set Lee down carefully, who was coughing and choking. Doc hurried to them, his medical bag in hand.

"Can you hear me?" Barney asked him. "Hey, Lee!"

Lee didn't respond, and his eyes stayed closed.

"He needs oxygen," Doc said. "Among other things. We have to get out of here now."

Barney looked up to see Drummer finally arriving with another helicopter in tow. He had notified him earlier about what was going on, and he was coming to help. Too little, too late. Caesar ran over when the second helicopter landed, telling the paramedic inside what was needed. Bless Drummer for realizing there would be a need for medical assistance. They set to work on Lee instantly.

"Are you all right?" Barney asked Kate, who nodded. She had a couple of burns herself, but she wasn't complaining.

"Smoke inhalation," Toll said.

"Go get checked out," Barney ordered. She numbly followed, and they let her on the helicopter. Barney hopped on Drummer's helicopter. He would get dropped off at his plane. The others followed suit. Kate was emotional looking at Lee lying there unconscious, and she blamed herself for getting into it with him the night before as it caused him to get out and get caught.

"Stay with me," she begged, her hands on his face now. "Please. Don't go, Liam, I mean, Lee. Lee, please stay with me!" It was hard to differentiate between the two men in that moment because she felt she was back in time looking down at her brother, Liam, and begging him to stay in the exact same way.

"Hang on, miss," the paramedic said. "We'll get there soon."

Kate just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

**I hope someone out there is still enjoying this story.**


	13. Leaving

_"Why don't you quit?" Kate asked, walking behind Liam as they went inside the convenience store._

_"I'm thinking about it," he answered, flashing her a grin. _

_"Don't think, just do," she combated. _

_"Ha, if only that were easy," he laughed. "Look, smoking is what got me through the war, all right? It's my friend. I can rely on it. It calms me down."_

_"I can do all of those things and not give you lung cancer," Kate urged. _

_"Katie girl, I know you can, but I'm just not ready," Liam responded. He slid his cigarettes across the counter for the clerk to ring up. Kate looked around them, taking in the man in the hoodie near the slushy machine. She vaguely felt a sense of alarm, and she was about to reach out and tap Liam to get his attention when the man suddenly rushed towards them. _

_"Wallets, now!" he shouted. "You, cash! Now!" He waved his gun at them and the clerk._

_"Hey, dude, calm down," Liam ordered. The clerk was becoming anxious and upset. Kate was fumbling as she searched her pockets. _

_"I didn't bring mine," she said, panicking. _

_"Well, you can't give something you don't have," Liam said reasonably. He pulled out his to hand over. _

_"She's lying!" the man shouted, pointing his gun at her. "Give it to me!"_

_"She doesn't have it," Liam insisted. The clerk was throwing the cash into the bag the man had tossed at him. _

_"You're both lying!" the man shrieked._

_"And you're high as a kite," Liam said, looking at the man's pupils. "How about you put the gun down now?"_

_"Here," the clerk said. "Here's the cash." The man took it before aiming his gun at Liam and Kate again._

_"Last chance," he said. "Hand it over, missy."_

_"I really don't..." Kate started. Liam went to grab the gun just as the gunman pointed it at Kate, and he struggled with the gunman until the gun went off. Liam grunted as the bullet hit him. He fell to the ground beside Kate. _

_"Oh shit. Oh f***," the man gasped, as though he was just realizing where he was and what he had just done. He took off out of the building. The clerk immediately called the police, and Kate pulled herself over Liam's body._

_"Liam!" she shouted. He stared up at her, choking._

_"Kate," he tried._

_"Liam, please hang on," Kate begged. "Please, don't go!"_

_"Kate..."_

_"Save your strength," Kate ordered. She pressed down onto his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "Liam, stay with me! Don't go! Please..."_

_"Love..." he tried to say._

_"I know. I love you too. Just stay with me," she cried. _

_He gave one final gasp, and then his eyes stared blankly up at her. Shaking and hysterical, Kate screamed. The clerk was beside her instantly, and he checked for Liam's pulse. _

_"Miss, you gotta move," he said. She could hear sirens at this point. "Miss? Let them move him." She sat back when the paramedics came and checked Liam over. His blood was all over her hands and shirt. She spied the carton of cigarettes lying on the floor beside her, and for some reason, she reached for them and tucked them into her pocket. It was the last thing he had touched, and she needed that comfort. _

_"Time of death 9:43 p.m.," the paramedic was saying. Kate tuned them all out. All she could stare at was Liam's face staring back at her with no life in his eyes. _

...

Kate opened her eyes from her memory and looked up when Barney came into her hospital room. They were monitoring her for any complications such as a heart attack that smoke inhalation could give her.

"You okay?" Barney asked.

"I will be," she answered.

"I'm sorry it went for a shit so fast."

"You couldn't have predicted that."

"Lee's resting now," Barney told her. He'd just come from his room. He hated seeing his friend broken. Some broken ribs, smoke inhalation, and a mild concussion was what Lee had. Toll was beat up pretty badly too, but he did not have any breaks, just bruises. He was back at the motel resting. Doc, Gunner, and Caesar had insisted on staying too, to make sure they were all right. The younger Expendables were sent with Drummer to ensure the bombs made their way home.

"Good," she nodded.

"You need anything?"

"No. Just sleep."

"Hint taken," Barney chuckled. "We'll fly home once you and Lee are cleared."

"Thank you."

Barney just bobbed his head as he left to go get some air. Kate struggled out of her bed. She wanted to see Lee. No one stopped her as she found his room. She sat down beside him as he slept. She reached out to take Lee's hand into hers.

"I smoke because it makes me feel close to my brother, Liam," she started after a while, thinking back to their talk in the woods before it all went bad. She didn't know why she was doing this now, especially when he wasn't awake. She just felt compelled to tell him right in that moment.

"He died," she went on. "He survived Afghanistan only to come home and get shot in a convenience store robbery. It was just some random guy. Liam fought for the gun before the guy could shoot me, and in doing so, he lost his life. I blamed myself for years after. I still do, actually. You...you really remind me of him. That's why when we first met I told you that you reminded me of someone. My sister actually thinks you look like him too, but I don't see it." Kate chuckled a little at this. "Anyway, that's why I smoke. That's why I'm so messed up inside. I nightmare about it almost every night, but when I'm with you, it doesn't hurt as bad. I don't know why."

She stopped talking then, unsure of what else to say. She thought about Emma. They hadn't spoken since her blow up at Kate before the mission. She knew she had to talk to her and soon.

"You don't talk about him much, do you?" Lee's voice said, startling her. She looked up to see him looking at her.

"You're okay," she said, relieved. She squeezed his hand.

"Of course I'm okay. It takes a lot more than that to take me out," Lee said with a small grin. He was a bit groggy still from the meds.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For almost getting you killed."

"It had nothing to do with you."

"You left camp because of me..."

"You didn't force me to leave. I left to get air."

"And got captured," she pointed out.

"It was a risk I was willing to take."

"I'm bad luck to people it seems."

"Kate, you're not. If anyone's bad luck, it's me. I've got an entire black cloud of it that follows me around every day."

She didn't respond. She didn't know what to say.

"You didn't answer my question," Lee pointed out.

"Which one?"

"The fact that you don't talk much about your brother. Why?"

"I can't talk about him because it hurts too much," she whispered after a moment.

"I get it."

"How could you?" she asked. Lee hesitated for a moment before he sighed.

"Because. I wasn't entirely truthful about my real family."

"You weren't?"

"No. I was eight when I was taken. I watched this lunatic kill my parents and my little sister before he took me with him. He insisted he had this vision when he saw me that I was to be this great warrior and that he was the one to teach me. He's how I can fight so well. He died at the hands of police when I was a teenager, and I've been on my own since. It haunts me all the time that I couldn't save my family. He...he burned the house down after, which is why I don't like fire."

"Oh, Lee. You were a kid," Kate empathized. "You couldn't have saved them."

"The point I'm trying to make is you can't blame yourself for something a madman did," Lee said, ignoring her. "You only control your actions and reactions, not what others do."

Kate really wished she could believe it. She knew she would struggle with the guilt of her brother dying for her whole life.

"Okay," she finally said. Then she realized something.

"Lizzie is your sister, isn't she?" she asked. He felt his throat tighten as he nodded. He had adored her. When she had come along, he had made it his life's mission to keep her safe, and he had failed.

"Yea."

Kate just held his hand tighter, not saying anything else because she knew it would upset him more. Lee slipped back into sleep after a few moments, so Kate decided to let him rest. She went back to her room and cried. She was so sick of the damn crying. Maybe one day she'd have nothing left. One could hope.

...

Lee missed Kate. He endured the visits from everyone else because he was grateful they cared enough to come see him. Caesar was talking about how they'd busted everyone's asses in the fight. Gunner had kept asking him if he was sure he was okay. Doc was trying to claim Lee's throwing arm would somehow be affected enough to make him lose in their next knife throwing match. Toll hadn't said much, but he has shared he was thankful Lee was all right. Lee wondered if Toll and Kate were talking as Toll seemed depressed.

"Okay, leave the man be," the nurse said, coming in. "Let him rest."

"We'll see you later," Barney said, rounding up the crew and escorting them out. He stood in the doorway last, looking at Lee.

"All right," Lee nodded. Barney waved and was gone. Lee closed his eyes, but he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about Kate. He missed her, but he had come to a conclusion. He needed to get away because she'd eventually get killed if she was with him, if they stayed in this kind of life, and he didn't want to constantly remind her of her dead brother. He felt honored she had shared that with him, but he didn't know how to take reminding her of her brother. As soon as he got out of there, he'd take off somewhere for a while. He didn't know if he'd come back.

...

"Lee misses you," Barney said over the phone. Kate had flown back to New Orleans as soon as she had been cleared from the hospital instead of waiting to go with the others on Barney's plane. She had to get out of there. She hadn't gone back to see Lee before leaving either. She didn't know why. Well, she did. She didn't want to risk seeing Toll and have that conversation yet.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I could tell."

"Hmm."

"I don't know what's going on between you two, but I think you should be honest with him."

"About what?"

"Don't think I don't know," Barney said.

"He told you," Kate said accusingly.

"That he's nuts about you? Um, I am not blind," Barney snorted. "I've been telling him for years to go get you. He wouldn't listen."

Kate felt flushed then. So Barney didn't know about the kiss and her confession of love. What hurt was Lee didn't say it back or even let on he'd heard her. That was the other reason she didn't go back to see him. She was embarrassed.

"Thank you for calling. I have to go now."

"All right."

Kate hung up and stared at the wall, hoping she would eventually stop thinking about Lee.

...

A few days later, after Lee was released and Barney flew everyone home, Barney knocked on Lee's front door. He had grown worried as Lee hadn't been answering his phone.

"Lee?" he called. After a few moments, the door clicked open, and Lee was standing there.

"Yea?"

"Can I come in?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"Aw knock it off," Barney said, pushing Lee aside so he could enter. Lee gave a small chuckle. Barney was glad to hear his friend was feeling a little better. He'd been worried about what could have happened if Lee had died. He noticed the bags by the door then.

"You taking a trip?" he asked, surprised. He looked at Lee.

"I'm leaving, Barney," Lee said, finally putting it out there. He'd been thinking about it steadily the past few days.

"What?"

Lee hated the surprise and pain in Barney's eyes at this.

"I've made up my mind. I am no good for her, Barney."

"That's some real bull shit right there, and you know it."

"It doesn't change my mind."

"You gotta stop running," Barney said sternly. "You gotta be honest with yourself and with her. You gotta stop being an idiot."

"Protecting myself is all I've ever known," Lee sighed. "It's what I do best. And besides, she's not safe with me. It's for the greater good. I'm sorry, Barney."

Barney looked at him long and hard. He knew his friend wore his heart on his sleeve, and he knew he didn't want to get hurt again. He just thought Lee was not seeing the bigger picture, that Kate was perfect for him.

"You'll regret it."

"I'll miss you too, buddy."

Lee patted Barney's shoulder and started walking again. Barney knew he had to do something. He couldn't just let his friend make the biggest mistake of his life without doing anything.


	14. Hearts Intertwined

**Thank you, Quicksilver123, for your review! So glad someone is still enjoying this story! :)**

**If I'd been quicker, I could have posted this 14th chapter on Feb 14th a.k.a. Valentine's Day, but I'm close enough. Happy reading ;)**

* * *

Toll looked up when Barney came into the lounge part of Tool's hangout. He sat across from him, and Toll had a feeling he knew what it was going to be about.

"Lee is leaving," Barney said. Toll froze. That was not at all what he had thought Barney was going to say.

"What?!"

"He's had enough of this life," Barney went on. "And he said to tell you he wishes you and Kate all the best." It had been implied anyway.

Toll closed his eyes briefly. She had been avoiding Toll ever since they'd left the mountains.

"Where's he going?"

"He didn't say."

"But you have an idea?"

"He's got a favorite bar somewhere. That's all I know."

"I see."

"Look, have you talked to Kate?" Barney asked.

"No."

"Do you know that Lee's crazy about Kate?"

Toll sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but he did know. All the signs had been there.

"Yea, I figured it out."

"Look, the last thing Lee ever wanted was to hurt you."

"I know that. He gave up his life for Kate before you got him out. He told me he'd never do anything with her. I tried to believe he really didn't like her, but that fell flat."

"You and I both know Lee, and we both know that when he falls hard, he gets scared. He's loved that woman for a long time now, way before Lacy came into the picture. He's just too chicken to admit it."

"I see," Toll said.

"I know you feel that Lee gets the cream of the crop all the time..."

"That's not it," Toll cut him off. "It's just...next to him, no one notices me. That Mark guy couldn't even tell it was me that was dating Kate. He just assumed Lee was. Lacy took to Lee after I expressed interest first. I feel like I'm never taken seriously."

"Toll," Barney said sincerely. "I take you very seriously. You're one of my best men, and you do a lot for us and our team. You're smart and funny and a hell of a nice guy. I know you'll find the right girl for you. It's just not Kate."

"I know," Toll nodded, looking down at his hands.

"Go talk to her," Barney instructed.

"I will."

It was going to be a hard conversation, that was for sure.

...

Lee rested his head on the window, watching the clouds move underneath him. He hadn't even said goodbye because he didn't want to make a scene. He knew Barney would tell them for him. He had avoided Kate because he knew that if she begged him to stay, he probably would. He had to let her go. He had to let her and Toll be together. He was no good for her.

"Are you all right?" the elderly woman beside him asked. She was looking at his face and bruises with skeptical eyes.

"Oh, yes," Lee nodded. "Just had a bit of an accident."

"Goodness. Was everyone okay?"

"They were just fine. I took the brunt of it," Lee smiled. At least he hadn't lost a tooth yet. The lady turned her attention back to her book, and he went back to his window.

...

Right after Toll left, Kate appeared. Barney looked up at her as she came in. She had some cuts and scrapes on her, but otherwise she looked fine.

"Where's Lee?" she asked.

"He's gone," Barney answered, ripping the bandaid off. She stared at him.

"What do you mean, gone?"

"He left."

"For a trip?"

"For good."

"He...he left for good?" she repeated. She felt her heart stop. How could he just leave?!

"Yea."

"Did he say why?"

"He thinks that if he's out of the picture, he can let you go, and you can be happy with Toll."

"But...that's not what I want." She had not been successful in not thinking about Lee. She had decided that she was going to talk to him and be honest with him, like Barney had suggested. She was going to tell him again that she loved him.

"Finally."

"You don't have to sound so smug about it," she said, annoyed.

"Of course I do. I was right this whole time. Toll is on his way to talk to you about it."

"Do you know where Lee went?"

"He didn't say."

"Oh my God," Kate said, pressing her hand into her face. Lee was gone, and he hadn't said goodbye. That really hurt.

"I think you should talk to Toll," Barney went on. "Don't drag that out."

"I know, I know. It was my intention when I found him. Thank you," she said, going to the door. Barney was almost like the dad of this group, which was endearing and a bit annoying sometimes. Kate went to find Toll and deliver the bad news. She dreaded crushing him, but she might as well get it over with now.

...

Toll looked at Kate sitting across from him, and he both knew and dreaded what was coming next. She had found him at their diner and said it was time to talk, which he agreed because he was sitting there getting up the nerve to go find her. He sighed, knowing it was wrong to keep making something go forward if it wasn't right.

"It's Lee, isn't it?" Toll asked, making her look at him. The noise around them seemed to dull as he waited for her response.

"You know." She felt terrible.

"I can just tell. Lee never was good at hiding how he feels," Toll chuckled. Then he grew serious. "Kate, be honest with me, do you like me?"

"I do, Toll, but I think it's more as a friend than as a boyfriend," she answered. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'd rather know now than later," he assured her.

"I think it's too late for me and Lee anyway," she went on. "But I don't want to pretend and say this is what I want when it's not."

"I don't think it's too late," Toll shook his head. "I know Lee. He wears his heart on his sleeve, but he got hurt pretty bad by Lacy, so it's hidden under his sleeve right now. The right woman will bring it out again, and I think it's you, Kate."

"You're such a special guy, you know?" she said, tearing up. "I really hope you find the right girl whose heart is all yours."

Toll bowed his head, feeling emotional.

"I'm sure I will," he said after he collected himself. He squeezed her hand. "You better go get him."

"He's already left, and I have no idea where he's gone."

"All Barney said was he had a favorite bar. That's it. I don't know where that is."

"Oh," Kate said, realizing.

"What?" Toll asked.

"I know where he is," she said, breathless. She jumped to her feet. "Are we okay?"

"Yea, we're okay," Toll nodded. It did hurt, but he knew it was the right thing. "Now, go get him."

He didn't have to tell her twice.

...

Lee sat and watched the crowd live around him. He felt empty and lost. He hated that he felt this way. He hated himself for just leaving, but he was too afraid to stay. He knew Kate would have wanted to talk about their relationship, and he knew he would tell her no because even though they had kissed and she had said she loved him (and he loved her too), he couldn't let her be with him. She deserved someone who wasn't afraid inside. It was better this way. He'd find other work. He was beginning to think that the mercenary life had run its course anyway. He'd been in England for a couple of days now, and the peace he had been looking for had so far evaded him.

"Another?" the bartender asked when he noticed Lee's drink was empty.

"No," Lee shook his head. He was going to go back to his motel room anyway. He felt tired. He went to leave when he walked straight into someone.

"I'm so sorry," he said, untangling himself from them. He winced a little from the pain in his ribs from the impact. "I didn't..." He stopped short, his breath caught in his throat.

"It's my bad," Kate apologized. "I should really watch where I'm going."

"Kate," he managed to say. "What are you...how did you...?"

"I heard you went to your favorite bar. If my memory serves me right, you mentioned a fondness for this one before," she said.

"I see."

"I broke up with Toll."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. We knew we weren't right for each other," she said. She reached to touch his hand. "He told me that a good friend of his, who also happens to be my good friend, needs someone like me to bring their heart back onto their sleeve again."

"He told you that?" Lee asked. Toll really was a good friend. No other guy could let someone as incredible as Kate go like that.

"Mmhmm," Kate nodded.

"So you came here," Lee noted.

"You're not a hard man to find," she smiled.

"Barney told you."

"Pretty much." It wasn't a total lie. Barney had told Toll, who had told her.

"Asshole."

"He means well."

"I suppose."

"But...here I am," she said.

"And what if you're too late?" he asked. She cocked her head at him.

"What if I'm not?" she countered. "What if this was the other time and place that I told you about when I first met you?"

Lee felt all his fear and anxiety leave him at this point. He could tell Kate was serious, and he somehow knew that she wouldn't hurt him despite his fear of that. He took her all in, and he noticed that she had even done her hair like the first time he'd seen it, all curls.

"I don't want to constantly remind you of Liam," Lee said.

"You don't. I mean, yes, there are some similarities, but no, you don't remind me of him all the time. In fact, you help me cope," Kate said. "I think about Liam 24/7 sometimes, and I relive that moment over and over, but when I'm with you, it fades into the background. I don't feel the need to smoke as much, and I don't beat myself up over something I had no control over. So don't you dare try to use my brother as an excuse here."

She looked at him fiercely, and Lee knew he couldn't pretend any longer. He loved her, and afraid or not, it was time to stop being an idiot.

"I know somewhere we could go," he said after a moment. Her grip on his hand tightened.

"Take me there," she instructed. She was standing very close to Lee now, their lips almost touching, and she thought he was going to kiss her by the way he was looking at her, but he didn't. He didn't say a word as he moved to pull her behind him out the bar. It wasn't a far walk back to his room, just a block from the bar. Lee felt apprehension building between them, but it was the good kind. He nodded at the motel staff who was standing there, and they waited for the elevator. Once it came and they were inside, Kate felt the blood pumping in her ears. Would he just hurry up and kiss her already? She imagined him taking her into his arms and pushing her against the wall of the elevator. It stopped, and some people came in, making Kate annoyed. When they finally reached the right floor, got out of the elevator, and started walking down the hallway to his room, Kate quickened her steps. At his door, she pressed herself against it while he went to find his room key. She wanted him to kiss her very badly.

"Lee?" she said, making him look at her.

"Yea?" He grew worried she was having second thoughts.

"I can't wait any longer," she said.

"Just two seconds..." he started, finally finding his room key. She grabbed his shoulders, and he stopped, looking at her. Their faces were so close together. There was no holding back anymore, no reason not to do it. He kissed her. Oh, the sparks, how they flew. And this time, it didn't taste like blood, dirt, smoke, or tears. Without looking, he put the room key into the slot and opened the door without stopping the kiss. Once inside, he tossed the room key and slid his hands onto her back and one up behind her neck, pulling her in closer. She removed his coat eventually and hers, and he kiss walked her to the bed, setting her down onto it gently.

"It's been a long time," she said, when they finally did break apart for a moment.

"You didn't with...?"

"No," she shook her head. "Just a few make out sessions."

"Oh."

"I thought you'd be glad."

"I am. I just feel sorry for the bugger and what he missed out on," Lee joked. She swatted him then, and he fell down kissing her once more. It felt like a dream, being tangled up with her. She was careful with his broken ribs. He was living his wildest dreams as he held her close to him.

"You said something to me back in that fire that I didn't get the chance to respond to," he said. She pressed her face against his. She didn't like to think about it due the feelings of embarrassment that followed after, but she knew what he was referring to.

_I love you._

"It's okay," she said.

"I know, but it's important to me for you to know that I do love you. I always have," he told her.

She kissed him again, causing him to get lost in her, and what came next was the best experience of his life. Kate herself had never experienced this level of intimacy. Lee finally got rid of the fear and knew that she was what he wanted forever, and he had absolutely no regrets.

...

Lee woke up with Kate in his arms. At first he felt it was a dream, but when she moved her face closer into his neck, he knew it wasn't.

"Hi," she said, waking up.

"Hey."

"Took us long enough, huh?"

"Sure did," he grinned. She kissed him gently.

"We're just a pair of idiots, aren't we?"

"I think we can stop calling ourselves that now," he told her. She smiled back as he touched her face.

"If you ever try to leave me again, I'll just find you once more," she warned.

"I won't leave you."

"Can we go back home now?"

"After we visit your parents," Lee answered. "And maybe that annoying sister of yours." He knew she wasn't on great terms with Emma right now. He remembered her phone call before they went on the mission. He knew she needed to reconcile. Her face broke out into a wide grin.

"Okay."

"But it really doesn't matter where we are because you are my home," he told her seriously. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"I'm sorry I didn't help you figure it out."

"I'm serious. We can stay here...maybe avoid some bullets and beatings for a while."

"I think that would be nice," she smiled. If they went back, they went back. She wouldn't push. Lee seemed to need some down time, and so did she.

Lee's phone went off, and he saw it was Barney. Kate got up while he read the message.

**You do it yet?**

**None of your damn business, **Lee wrote back.

**That's my boy.**

Lee chuckled to himself. He looked at Kate as she got dressed and ready for the day.

"Are you sure you want to meet my crazy family?" she asked.

"I'd love to. I really want to know everything about you," he answered. She paused, her hands mid air as she was doing her ponytail.

"Fair enough," she nodded after a moment, smiling again. "But I will warn you, things get tense quickly."

"It's all right."

They set out for breakfast before they went to find her family. Kate was nervous and could barely eat suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked.

"I just...what if you remind them of Liam too? I mean, Emma claims she can see a resemblance. What if they do too?"

"All right. I have to see a picture of this guy now," Lee said. "You're making me feel like I'm his secret twin who was separated at birth or something."

Kate reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a photograph, the one of Liam dressed in his military uniform. She handed it to Lee carefully, who examined it. He had to hold back his shock upon seeing Liam's face. His hand trembled a little.

"What? What is it?" she asked, immediately noticing. Lee cleared his throat once, twice.

"He saved my life," Lee answered.

"Wh-What?"

"In the SAS. He was a part of a different squadron, one that had come to assist us when we had gotten pinned down. I was making a dash for cover, and he saw the sniper and took him out before I got killed. We had drinks together when we got out of there, and then we never saw each other again." Lee remembered it vividly. Liam had a huge grin that seemed to just make everyone feel happier when they were next to him.

"Oh my God," Kate said, feeling something inside of her.

"I remember him telling me about his family," Lee said, thinking hard. "He said they weren't too fond about him being in the SAS, but they were still proud of him, and he loved them like crazy, particularly his Katie girl." Lee trailed off, recalling the memory still. Liam had been laughing and smoking. He'd told Lee that he hated killing people, that when he got out, he was going to do something where he helped people in a better way instead.

"It was hard having him join up, but we understood why he did it. He thought he was going to help people."

"He was a good guy," Lee assured her. "I think we could have been friends if life had happened differently."

"He would have liked you," Kate confirmed.

"So," Lee said, looking at her. "I guess he saved both of us, and now we're here."

Kate didn't know what to think. Her brother had crossed paths with Lee. They had talked.

"Somehow it makes me even more sure that this was supposed to be," she said finally. "You and me. I know that sounds crazy."

"It's not," Lee shook his head. "I had really liked him and had wished he was on my squadron. He had mad skills."

"He was proud of me for making my way into law enforcement," Kate said.

"He'd still be proud of you," Lee assured her. She gave a small smile.

"So," Lee said after letting her process for a bit. "Your parents."

"Yes. Maybe don't mention our jobs to them," she said.

"Emma didn't tell them?"

"Emma is good at keeping secrets. She never told my parents about Alejandro or half the dangerous things I was into with the FBI," Kate answered. "I had to talk to someone, and she was always there for me. I feel like such a jerk now that I know she felt tolerated and left out when we were growing up."

"Hey, you're here now, and you're gonna be fine," Lee told her, taking her hand in his. "And with my charm, she'll be thrilled in no time."

Kate burst out laughing, which released the tension in her chest. They finished eating and headed out to the street.

"Okay," Kate said as they got into the rental car. "Here goes."

"It'll be fine," Lee promised.

"I haven't told you about Grace," Kate said as they drove.

"Grace?"

"She's my other sister. I don't see her much. She does relief work for natural disasters with Red Cross."

"It sounds like your family all reacted to Liam's death differently," Lee noted. Kate gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"We did," she agreed. "Mum and Dad left the States. They couldn't bear to be in the same place where Liam was killed. Grace took off. Emma followed Mum and Dad, and I...I stayed there and fought bad guys."

Lee rode in silence, knowing she had more to say and didn't want to interrupt.

"Liam...he went back to England after high school because he wanted to reconnect with our roots," Kate went on after a moment. "He loved it over here. He was settling down over here after the SAS. He was just visiting us when he...when he died. I think that's another reason Mum and Dad came here after. They wanted to be where he was the happiest."

"It makes sense," Lee nodded when she didn't continue. He reached and put his hand on her leg, hoping to calm her nerves.

"We don't talk much," Kate said. "I hate lying to them about what I do, and I sometimes feel smothered because they fear of losing another child. I distance myself for both of us, you know?"

"So showing up on their doorstep is really going to be a surprise for them," Lee commented.

"Yes."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere."

Kate breathed in and out steadily, but her heart was still pounding. As they rounded the corner to her parents' house, she mentally prepared for what was going to come next.

* * *

**I bet you're all thinking, "Finally!" I'm thinking it too :)  
**


	15. Family Drama

**Thank you again, quicksilver123! It means a lot that you're still giving me feedback :)**

* * *

Kate's nose was filled with the smell of her mother's flower garden as they walked up the steps to the front door. Lee had his hand on the small of her back, and it brought her some comfort. She knocked and held her breath. A face appeared at the skinny window beside the door, and then it was open with her mother standing there.

"Katie!" she cried, pulling Kate into a tight hug. "Ohhh I missed you!"

"Hi, Mum," Kate said, feeling emotional. A hug from her mother had been just what she needed without realizing it.

"Oh, hello," Leah said, seeing Lee suddenly. "Who's this?"

"This is Lee," Kate answered.

"Nice to meet you," Lee smiled.

"And you," Leah bobbed her head. "Come on in. Oliver! Katie's here!"

"Katie, huh?" Lee asked in Kate's ear as they went inside. He'd meant to comment on it earlier when they were talking about Liam and how he mentioned his Katie girl to Lee, but he hadn't felt it was the right time or place. Leah disappeared to find her husband, Oliver.

"Family thing only," Kate warned, nudging him gently.

"Shame," Lee murmured. "It suits you."

Kate felt her ears go red.

"Kate," Oliver said, appearing finally and hugging her. "Glad you made it to visit."

"How are you?" Kate asked.

"I'm just dandy," Oliver answered. "And you're Lee. Nice to meet you." He reached to shake Lee's hand.

"You as well," Lee replied.

"So what are you doing over here?" Leah asked as they moved to sit at the table.

"We're just in the neighborhood," Kate replied.

"How's work?" Oliver questioned. Kate flinched a little. They didn't know she had left the FBI. Lee's hand found her knee under the table, knowing she was stressing about this topic.

"I'm not with the FBI anymore," Kate told them. She never really was good at lying.

"Oh?" Oliver said, puzzled.

"Thank God," Leah sighed. "I was so worried about you working there."

"What are you doing instead?" Oliver asked.

"Are you happy?" Leah prodded.

"Did things just not work out there?" Oliver questioned.

"Do your sisters know?" Leah asked.

Kate felt like she was under a firing squad, so she put up her hand to stop them from asking anymore questions.

"I'm in between jobs right now, I am happy, I just decided to leave, and Emma knows," she listed, answering it all.

"And what do you do?" Oliver asked Lee.

"Where did you meet?" Leah asked.

"I'm kind of a mediator," Lee answered. "And we met in a bar."

"You're still hanging out at bars?" Leah asked, switching her focus back to Kate.

"Kind of a mediator? I don't know what that means," Oliver said. "What does that mean?"

"What did I tell you about bars?" Leah chastised.

"This was a bad idea," Kate said, standing up suddenly.

"Oh, honey, we're sorry," Leah apologized quickly. She put her hand on Oliver's arm to stop him from talking more. Kate crossed her arms.

"We've talked about this," Kate said.

"I know," Leah nodded. "We just forget. We want to know everything that goes on with you girls because we don't see you that often and talk even less."

"We've talked about this too," Kate pointed out.

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad..."

"Then stop."

Kate started to move to the other room.

"Ever since Liam," Leah started, looking at Lee.

"_Mum!_" Kate shouted, still in the doorway.

"We're a little overprotective," Leah finished. Kate glared at her.

"That's understandable, Mrs. Macer," Lee responded.

"I shouldn't have come here," Kate said, running for the door.

"Honey..." Leah tried.

"I got this," Lee interrupted, hurrying after Kate. He caught up to her by the gate and put his hand on her shoulder. Kate turned into him and buried her face into his chest, crying.

"It's all right," he soothed, rubbing her back. Kate cried herself out before gulping and growing quiet.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's fine."

"They just get so overwhelming."

"They're parents."

"I don't think I can go back in there," Kate told him. Her head was resting on his chest, and his heartbeat was making her feel calmer.

"If you run from your problems, they never get fixed," Lee said. He felt like a hypocrite for saying it, though, since that had been exactly what he'd done. Kate didn't seem to notice this, which he was grateful for.

"And what if some problems can't be fixed?"

"Is this one of those problems?"

Kate knew he was right. She breathed in and out for a moment.

"No," she reluctantly answered.

"I see both sides of this," Lee went on. "You want some privacy in your life, and they fear not knowing anything can result in your death."

"It doesn't matter what they do or don't know. Liam's death was a freak accident. Nothing would have changed that."

"No, but maybe they wished they knew more about his life and what was going on so when he died, they had more of him to hang on to."

"Damn you. You are way too good at this," Kate sighed. He laughed.

"Do you feel better?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You wanna go back in?"

"All right."

Lee put his arm around her as they walked back. Leah was in the hallway wringing her hands anxiously. Oliver was hovering in the space between the hallway and the kitchen.

"You must be right for her," Leah said Lee as they came in. "No one else would have convinced her to come back."

"Mum," Kate warned.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Leah asked, changing the subject quickly. "I promise to ease up." Lee looked at Kate, who eventually nodded.

"It's not that I don't want you to ask questions," Kate said, diving in suddenly. "I just want you to take a breath or two between them."

"Okay," Leah nodded. "I can do that."

"Me too," Oliver agreed. He had been standing and observing quietly.

"And don't comment on how we don't talk," Kate went on. "I feel bad enough about that...I don't need a reminder."

"Got it," Leah said, still nodding. They smiled at each other.

Lee released her, and Oliver asked if he wanted a tour of the house.

"Oh," Leah said as Lee was up the stairs. "Emma and Dustin are coming too."

Kate froze. She hadn't expected that.

"Great," she said weakly. Leah beamed at her, not noticing this.

"Come help me," she insisted. Kate followed her numbly. This was going to be terrible.

...

Lee found her in the bathroom hyperventilating about an hour later.

"Kate?" he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I can't do this," she gasped. "I can't see her. She was so angry at me."

"She might not be anymore. She might be just as nervous to see you again."

"Yea right," Kate said. She moved towards the window and yanked it open.

"What are you doing?" Lee asked.

"I'm running," she answered, popping out the screen.

"Don't," Lee said, grabbing the back of her shirt just as she lifted her leg to hoist herself up.

"If you're afraid of what they'll say, then just come with me," she advised.

"No," he shook his head. "Look, I know running away is easier. Believe me, I know, but also believe me when I say that it causes more angst and trouble than facing the problem."

"She won't want to see me. I'm doing the both of us a favor." Kate continued to try to climb out the window. Lee didn't want to force her to stay, so he felt helpless as she dropped down out of sight. Sighing, he put the window back together before going out to rejoin Leah and Oliver. He had no idea what he was going to tell them.

...

Kate ducked as she passed by the windows. She felt like a huge coward, but she just couldn't do it. She hoped Lee would make an excuse and meet her at the car. She stepped out from the bushes and onto the driveway only to walk right into Emma.

"Shit!" Kate yelped, startled. Emma jumped and shrieked, clutching her chest.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded.

"Just getting some air," Kate lied.

"Why are you even here?"

"I...I came to visit."

Emma crossed her arms then.

"Where is Dustin?" Kate asked, noticing she was alone.

"He had to work."

"Oh." Kate saw something flicker across Emma's face at this, as though she was annoyed with Dustin for not being there with her to protect her from Kate. Emma moved past her to go inside then. Kate felt unsure of what to do at this point.

"You must be Emma," Lee said as he opened the door.

"Oh...um..." Emma paused, looking back at Kate and then back to Lee. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you properly," Lee smiled. "Excuse me." He walked past her and headed for Kate.

"Did you...?" she started.

"No. I saw Emma first and knew you'd run into her. You gonna come inside?"

"I...I don't know..."

"She didn't bite your head off, so I think it's safe to say that you can survive dinner."

Emma was watching them, and Kate knew Lee was right but still felt nervous.

"Fine," she finally caved.

He took her hand in his and walked them back to the house. Emma's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't comment.

"Hi, honey," Leah said, beaming at Emma. "Look who's here!"

"I see that," Emma commented.

"No Dustin today?"

"No, he had to work."

"Oh, that's too bad," Leah said. "Come on and sit. Tell us about work."

Kate sat with Lee in the living room while Emma went into the kitchen to talk to Leah.

"She's ignoring me," Kate noted.

"You want her to get into it with you in front of your parents?" Lee asked.

"No," Kate shook her head.

"Then don't worry about it."

Kate gripped his hand and did her best.

...

"So," Emma said. They were nearing the end of dinner at this point. Kate had been waiting all evening, and she figured this was it. "You and Lee."

"Uh huh," Kate nodded.

"When did that happen?"

"Recently."

"Oh, wait," Leah said, suddenly realizing. "You met this man seven years ago. That's the bar you meant."

"Yes," Kate nodded.

"You owe me fifty bucks," Leah said to Oliver, holding out her hand. Lee burst out laughing. Kate, however, was appalled.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Oh, we made a bet on if you'd get with him or not," Leah explained.

"I can see that, but, um, why?" Kate asked.

"We get bored," Leah answered logically.

"Wow," Kate said.

"You owe me fifty too, Dad," Emma said.

"Now you know who the romantics are in the family," Oliver joked to Lee as he handed over the bills.

"Stranger in a bar is a hard bet to do," Lee agreed. "I would have said no too. Don't feel bad."

"Glad to see my life is a game to you," Kate said.

"I never commented on your family bingo cards I found," Leah retorted.

"Well, you obviously weren't supposed to know about that," Kate said, going red. It had been the game her and Liam had always played at family events.

"You and Liam knew us all really well," Leah went on. "I was offended at first, but then I realized how much you two had paid attention to us all. It was kind of sweet. And really, if you can't have fun in life, then what's the point?"

Kate bowed her head. Her mother had a point.

"So, where do you work now?" Emma asked. "I'm assuming you told Mum and Dad."

"Yes, they know I'm between jobs right now," Kate answered, giving her sister a look.

"Hmm," Emma said. She finished her meal and set down her fork. "This was great, Mum. I'm so sorry to eat and run, but I have a million things to do at home."

"Okay, love," Leah nodded. Emma stood up then.

"It was great to see you again, Lee," she said. "Bye, Kate."

Kate jumped up to follow her out the door.

"Emma," she said once they were outside.

"What, Kate?" Emma asked, spinning around.

"I'm really sorry," Kate started. "That you felt like we tolerated you. The truth is, you were just so much smarter than me, and I never knew how to be around you. I was more comfortable around Liam. Grace was always in her own world, so I didn't know how to be with her either. I never thought you'd think I didn't like you."

"I'm over it, Kate."

"Clearly not."

"Look, I don't care. Go live your life, and I'll live mine. I'll see you when I see you," Emma finished, walking away.

"I can't leave it like this," Kate insisted.

"Leave it like what? We're sisters, but we don't have to be friends."

"Emma..."

"Don't worry about it, Kate. I'll be just fine." Emma got into her car then, shutting the door firmly. Kate was feeling sick and upset.

"But I won't be," she whispered as her sister drove away. This was not how she imagined it ending, but there was no changing it now.

* * *

**Oh, family drama. We are getting closer to the end of this story, but there is a bit more left to tell. Stay tuned for some more action!**


	16. Trouble Again

**Thank you again, quicksilver123 :) I was originally going to write the rest of this story as a sequel, but I decided to just keep this story going as one. Happy reading.**

* * *

Kate felt horrible about the state of her relationship with Emma from the moment she left her parents' place. She wanted to leave immediately and go back to New Orleans, which Lee was okay with. He knew he could have time off from work there too. They flew out on a red eye flight, and Kate agonized over Emma the whole flight home. Lee had done his best to make her feel better, but nothing seemed to help. He eventually fell asleep on the plane, and Kate stared out the window. By the time they landed and got back to her apartment, she was exhausted but still thinking about Emma.

"Just knock me out," she complained to Lee when they were on the couch. "Karate chop me in the neck or something. I can't think about this anymore."

"I can think of something a little more enjoyable than that which will distract you," Lee commented. Kate didn't even wait for him to make the move before climbing into his lap and kissing him. Lee had been craving the intimacy ever since their first time together, but he hadn't wanted to bring it up while she was going through this. Kate lost herself in him. It definitely was distracting her from her thoughts.

Loud banging on her door startled them both.

"I don't think we're home," Kate said, smirking. Lee grinned back before pulling her back down on top of him again to resume making out. The banging was persistent, though, making it hard to concentrate.

"Oh for Pete's sake, fine," Kate growled, getting up. Who the hell was visiting at this time of night anyway? Lee sat up, watching. Kate opened the door only to have a hand shoved over her mouth, pushing her back with another hand holding a gun in her face. The door was kicked shut, and Lee was already on his feet. He had Kate's knife in his hand as it had been on the coffee table in front of him.

"Don't scream," Alejandro warned her. He looked at Lee. "Put that down."

"Like hell," Lee said angrily. Kate removed the hand on her face and stepped back.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" she demanded.

"You're being watched," Alejandro said. "Your friend, Mark, has ordered a hit out on you both."

"How do you know this?" Kate asked.

"Mark has his fingers in with the cartel," he answered. When he had heard through his connections, he had to make sure she was safe. He didn't know why this was so important to him, but it was. Maybe it was payback for using her and putting her in danger in the first place.

"Where are they?" Lee asked.

"Outside. You've got ten minutes."

They heard crashing of a door being kicked in.

"Make that less than two minutes," Alejandro corrected.

"Shit!" Kate swore, running to grab her gun and tossing Lee the extra one she had.

"They'll just keep coming," Alejandro advised. "We gotta leave."

"Come on," Lee said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the bathroom. It wouldn't be the first time she escaped that way. Lee went out first to clear the area before helping Kate down. Alejandro came last. They could hear shouting inside now.

"My car," he instructed, leading the way. Lee and Kate scanned the street but didn't see anyone. They got inside Alejandro's SUV and shut the doors, panting.

"Where are we going?" Kate asked when Alejandro started the engine.

"Safe house," he answered. He had pulled strings with Graver to get one.

"I don't hide from a fight," Lee told him.

"Call it collecting our thoughts before we fight back," Alejandro suggested.

"I'm calling Barney," Lee said.

"Your phones are tagged. I wouldn't do that. In fact, toss them," Alejandro gestured. Kate obliged. Lee hesitated before following suit. He didn't exactly trust this guy, but he did just save them from hitmen.

"Use this burner," Alejandro said, handing it to Lee. "Once we get to the safe house, then you can call your friend."

Lee took it without responding. He looked at Kate, who was looking afraid.

"We'll end this soon," he promised. She didn't make a sound. Alejandro met her eyes in the rear view mirror, but he didn't say anything. She wondered why he had bothered to do this. What was his motive? She turned to look behind them, feeling reassured for a moment when she didn't see anyone chasing after them. Lee squeezed her hand, and she felt her heartbeat slow a little. As long as she was with Lee, they would be fine.

...

Alejandro ushered them inside the safe house and closed the door behind them. Kate stood beside Lee, waiting for what was to come next.

"Hi, Kate," Graver's voice said. Kate spun, seeing the other person she had never wanted to see again standing there in his stupid shorts and his stupid crocs with his arms crossed, looking at them all while chewing his stupid gum.

"What the hell is this?" she asked Alejandro furiously.

"This is me saving your ass," Graver answered for him. "You're welcome."

"I didn't thank you."

"Sassy as always," Graver chuckled.

"How about one of you answers the question as to why we are here?" Lee commanded.

"Who's this guy?" Graver asked Alejandro.

"They work together," he replied. He knew it was more than that, but that didn't need to be disclosed.

"And what do you do?" Graver questioned Lee.

"None of your business," Lee answered.

"All right," Graver said, sighing and adjusting his position. "Look, cartel are after you both now thanks to some guy named Mark. Word has it you took something from him?"

"That's correct," Lee nodded.

"Well, he wants it back."

"He can't have it back. It's gone," Lee explained. He turned to Alejandro. "I need to call Barney now."

"Barney?" Graver asked, looking between them all.

"My boss," Lee shared, moving away to make the call. Graver made an "ah" face before looking back to Kate.

"You've been keeping well?" he asked her.

"Shut up," Kate snarled.

"They're all yours," Graver said to Alejandro before going to sit down in the corner. Kate rounded on Alejandro seconds later.

"Why is he here?" she hissed. "It's bad enough I trusted you to bring us here, but I don't trust him."

"Mark is one of the big boys that we're also trying to take down. He wouldn't sit it out."

"I'm not helping him," Kate insisted.

"I know."

"Okay," Lee said, coming back. "Barney's gonna help us out."

"How?" Graver asked from his corner. "He has no idea what's going on."

"All he needs to know is that Mark is trying to kill us," Lee said firmly.

"Oh, so a band of superheroes is coming to save you, right? That's nice," Graver smirked. Lee clenched his fists. He badly wanted to punch this irritating man in the face, but he held off for now.

"What is the plan?" Kate asked, ignoring the tension in the room. Graver and Alejandro shared a look with one another.

"Well, we want Mark, and Mark wants you, so...do the math," Graver answered.

"You want me to be bait again," Kate said, incredulous.

"That about sums it up," Graver nodded.

"No," Lee shook his head. "She's not doing it. Mark wants me just as much too. I'm doing it."

Graver went to respond when something on his laptop on the table went off. Frowning, he went to look at it, putting his headphones in. After a moment, his face changed, and he looked up at Kate.

"What?" she asked. Graver cleared his throat.

"You have a sister?" he questioned. Kate's blood ran cold. She rushed around to the other side of the laptop. There was a video on pause, and Mark's face was leering up at them.

"Why do you ask?" she responded. "Tell me!"

Lee and Alejandro both had a bad feeling about what was going to come next. Graver rewound the video and pressed play, raising the volume.

"I know you're with Graver, who's been an incredible pain in my ass, so I'm sending this to him to show you. I'm impressed that you two survived," Mark's voice said. "I shouldn't be so surprised, but that's old news. Today, I'm annoyed to see that you escaped again before I could get the information I want from you. The thing is, everyone has something or someone that makes them vulnerable, as you might remember from our last meeting. I was hoping I wouldn't have to play this card, but you're leaving me with no choice."

Kate shrieked when Mark pulled the hood off of the person tied to the chair in front of the camera.

"Emma here says hello," Mark went on, tapping Emma's head. "If you don't bring me what I want in 12 hours, she dies. I know you know where it is, and I know you know how to get it, so no games." He moved into the full view of the camera at this point. "I will make you hurt more than you've ever thought you could hurt. Don't test me. 12 hours." The video stopped here, and Kate was shaking violently.

"So, you don't have to be bait after all, which is too bad cos you're really good at it," Graver noted. Kate didn't even hesitate before swinging her fist into his face, making him stumble.

"Hey, whoa!" Alejandro said, stepping between them and putting his arms out to keep them apart. "Easy."

Kate began to hyperventilate then, realizing that her sister was probably going to die because no one was going to willingly give them bombs to make such a trade, even if they found a way to fake it. Graver recovered from the hit. It wasn't the first time she'd punched him, but he had forgotten just how forceful it was.

"Kate," Lee said, grabbing her shoulders and making her face him. "We'll figure it out. We'll get her back. I promise."

"You can't promise that," she gasped, shaking her head.

"Too late," Lee said. He gripped her face with both of his hands then. "I will save your sister, Kate. I will."

"How sweet," Graver commented. "Can we get to work now, please?"

Lee unleashed then. He'd had enough of this guy's swagger and cockiness. He had Graver up and thrown onto the table in seconds, giving him a swift punch to the face and throat before Alejandro jumped in to intervene, and Lee took him on as well. Alejandro was a little taken aback by Lee's speed and agility. He hadn't counted on that. Graver swore, getting to his feet and spitting out blood.

"Lee!" Kate shouted. Lee had Alejandro in a headlock by this point. He looked at her. "Stop."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because," she said. "Even though they hurt me, we need them."

"Better listen to her, Lee," Graver said, his gun now pointed at Lee. "I'd hate to have to kill you."

Alejandro was hitting Lee's arms and attempting to jab him in the stomach, trying to loosen the headlock. He wasn't used to being overtaken, and he certainly didn't like it. He had to admit, though, that he was a little impressed at how tightly Lee had a hold of him.

"It's okay," Kate told him. "Let him go."

Lee didn't move for about ten seconds before he decided he should listen to her because she was right. Even though these men were irritating and unethical, they knew enough about Mark to help them. Also, the jabs to his stomach were hurting his ribs. He released Alejandro, who sucked in air greedily and moved to stand beside Graver, who lowered his gun.

"Now that we're all acquainted," Graver said. "Let's get to work."

...

Kate was exhausted. After four hours, they were no closer to figuring out a plan. She feared for Emma's life. Lee went to answer the door when someone pounded on it. Graver and Alejandro had their guns aimed just in case, but Barney came through the door followed by Toll, Doc, Gunner, and Caesar.

"What the hell have you gotten into?" Barney asked once they were inside.

"You remember Mark," Lee told him.

"From the mountains?"

"Yea."

"Damn. He sure holds a grudge," Barney noted.

"He's got Kate's sister," Lee explained. "He wants his bombs back."

Barney sucked on his teeth, thinking.

"Let me call Drummer," he said. "See if we can figure this out."

"Who is Drummer?" Graver asked.

"Also CIA," Barney answered, barely giving Graver a glance.

"Really," Graver said. "I've never heard of him."

"That's because he doesn't play dirty," Barney shot at him.

"You bend the rules a few times and suddenly you're dirty," Graver scoffed.

"No comment," Barney muttered, pulling out his phone.

"Hi, guys," Kate said to the others, who were standing off to the side. Alejandro was eyeing up Gunner, who stood three feet taller than him and looked solid like a tree.

"How are you holding up?" Caesar asked her, patting her shoulder.

"I just want this to be over," she answered.

"We'll get her back," Toll promised. Barney had filled them all in before they got there. Kate nodded, but her mind was stuck on the video of her sister. Something about it was trapped in her mind.

"All right," Barney said, returning. "Drummer thinks he might be able to help us."

"Might? We need more than a 'might,'" Graver snorted.

"I don't need a comment on everything I say," Barney retorted. Graver made a face and chewed on his gum, crossing his legs. Alejandro didn't move or make any facial expressions.

"What did he say?" Lee asked.

"He's gonna help us out."

"Hold on," Lee said, holding up his hand. "Drummer isn't letting us have a bomb, is he?"

"We'll get to that," Barney answered. "We need to figure out where Kate's sister is first."

"The tunnels," Kate said suddenly. Everyone looked at her, and she hurried over to the laptop. "I knew I recognized it."

"Tunnels?" Caesar asked.

"Cartel use tunnels to move stuff around out of sight," Graver explained.

"See?" Kate said, pausing the video. Behind Emma and Mark showed evidence of a structure that is built in tunnels. It was also dark with lights hanging, showing dirt.

"So which tunnel is she in?" Barney asked.

"My guess would be the one from the States to Mexico," Graver answered. Kate vividly remembered the tunnel raid they had done where Alejandro had shot her to stop her from going after him, where Graver explained to her just who they were dealing with.

"You know that for sure?" Kate asked him.

"You wanna waste time hunting around for a different one?" he countered. "If we're wrong, we will locate another one."

"All right," Barney said. "We have a where and a how. Let's move."

He walked out with the others following him. Lee gave Alejandro and Graver a dark look before leaving after them.

"What does your boyfriend do exactly?" Graver asked. He wasn't an idiot. He figured it out.

"He's a mercenary," she answered. "And now, so am I." She gave them a glare before going after her team. She was going to save her sister.

...

"We're gonna have to cover both ends of that tunnel," Barney was saying. Kate was listening, but she felt her mind drifting away. Was Emma okay? She'd be so scared. Kate wished this hadn't happened to her.

"So what's the plan?" Lee asked.

"Toll and I will take a chopper down there and do surveillance to make sure they don't run out the other end. You, Kate, Doc, Caesar, and Gunner will go in the tunnel from the American side. You will extract Emma and get out of there.

"Mark?" Lee questioned. "DOA?"

"What?" Kate asked.

"Dead or Alive," Toll explained. He still felt a little awkward around her and Lee now that they were together, but he knew it would pass.

"Oh. Right." She knew that. Her anxiety was messing with her mind, and that worried her. She shook her head hard to clear it.

"Drummer says alive," Barney sighed. "But I say whatever happens, happens."

"Got it," Lee nodded.

"What about the other two knuckleheads?" Toll asked, gesturing to where Graver and Alejandro were standing and conversing.

"They're going to go with us to the Mexico side," Barney answered. At this point, Graver sauntered over to them.

"Mind if I bust into your little ninja turtle huddle?" he asked.

"What?" Barney asked, annoyed.

"Mark isn't going to come out easily. You're gonna have to flush him out. Once he's out, Alejandro will take care of him," Graver said.

"Drummer wants him alive," Barney commented.

"Drummer can have wishes, but not everyone's wishes come true," Graver snorted. "Mark is a very dangerous man. In my opinion, leaving him breathing is the biggest mistake you'll ever make."

The two men were squared off, staring at each other.

"I'll make it happen," Lee said, making them both turn to look at him.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Barney asked.

"I hate to admit it, but I'm with meat head about this one," Lee said, tilting his head towards Graver. "Mark's gotta go."

"Okay well, we will 'try' to do our best for Drummer," Barney said, using air quotes.

"Just don't screw it up," Graver commented before turning to go back and join Alejandro.

"Gear up," Barney said, glaring at Graver's back as he walked away. The less time around that idiot the better.

...

Lee took a moment alone with Kate while everyone else was getting ready. She was running her hands through her hair and pacing, and he could tell she wanted a cigarette, but she was really doing her best to quit. He knew that.

"Hey," he said, reaching for her shoulder and grabbing it. "It'll be okay."

"She will never forgive me," Kate said. "She won't. This will be my fault for the end of time. If she dies, then it's another sibling whose death I am accountable for..."

"Stop," Lee ordered, putting his other hand on her other shoulder and holding her firmly. "This will end fine. I promise."

"You can't promise that," she whispered. He cupped her face with one hand then, running a thumb over her cheek gently.

"I just did," he replied.

Kate had nothing else to say, so he just pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I think you should go with Alejandro," he said. She pulled back instantly, staring at him in shock.

"What?!"

"It's gonna be dangerous in those tunnels..."

"And I've already been in them," she argued. "I know what to expect."

"I just think it's a better idea that you don't see your sister down there," Lee said. Kate stared at him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I am not going with him, and that's that," she said firmly. Knowing he wasn't going to change her mind, Lee had to give up.

"Let's go!" Barney called.

"Stay behind me then," Lee told her.

"I'll be fine, Lee," Kate said, feeling a little bit hurt that he didn't think she could handle herself.

"It's not that I don't think you can handle yourself," he said, reading her mind. "I just want you to be safe."

"Let's go," she said, moving towards the chopper. They were going to get dropped off first before Barney then flew over the border.

"She doesn't like being protected," Toll commented as he walked beside Lee after Kate. He had caught the tail end of their conversation. "Trust me."

Lee just gritted his teeth and didn't say anything. If Kate died over all this, he would never forgive himself for allowing her to even be on this team.


	17. We Go to War

**Thanks again, quicksilver123. Trigger warning activated for this chapter.**

* * *

Lee, Doc, Gunner, Caesar, and Kate made their way towards the tunnels from their drop off point. It was unfortunate that it was broad daylight, but they had no choice. Lee and Gunner went out in front. They didn't meet anyone at first, but then suddenly two cartel popped out. Lee swiftly took one out with his knife while Gunner shot the other. All of their guns had silencers on them to start. Kate followed determinedly in between Lee and Gunner. She refused to hide like a scared child. She shot the next cartel member they came across.

"Kate, slow down," Lee said. She didn't listen she charged ahead full force into the tunnel. She was going to find her sister. She was going to put an end to this madness once and for all. Two more cartel members appeared, and she shot one but wasn't quick enough to shoot the other. The bullet hit her in the chest hard, and she gasped, stumbling backwards. Lee caught her by the back of her neck right after he threw his knife into the second cartel, who fell choking. Gunner finished him off.

"You all right?" he asked. She nodded. The vest had taken the shot for her, but it still hurt. They could hear shouting now. Somehow their presence had been alerted to the others.

"Shit," Caesar said. "They know we're coming."

"Go," Lee ordered. Doc, Gunner, and Caesar obeyed, hustling down further into the tunnel. He still had a hold of the back of Kate's vest, and he turned her to face him.

"Knock off the 'I'm independent' shit," he said. "It's going to get you killed."

Kate kept her jaw clenched as she worked through the pain from getting shot. She didn't break eye contact with Lee at all, but she didn't say anything either. His face softened after a moment.

"I know this is hard and you're scared of losing Emma," he said. "But you have to trust the team. You can't be a lone wolf down here."

"I don't need protecting," she said then. "I don't."

Lee knew that this stemmed from Liam dying to protect her. She didn't want that to happen again.

"Call it cover," he suggested. "We all cover for each other on this team. It's how we stay alive. Can you do that for me?"

"I suppose," Kate agreed. They heard gunshots ahead of them.

"Come on," Lee said, finally releasing her. They ran forward, finding the others aiming their guns at a man who was pleading with them.

"I'm Emma's husband! I'm Dustin! They separated us. I'm trying to find her. You gotta believe me!" he was shouting.

"What's going on?" Lee asked as they approached. Dustin's eyes lit up when he saw Kate.

"Kate!" he cried. "You gotta help me find Emma! They're gonna hurt her!"

Kate felt something click inside of her brain. It was a memory, but of what exactly, she was trying to remember.

"Kate?" Dustin asked again.

Kate stood, looking at him. What was it?

"Kate?" Lee prompted. "Is this Dustin?"

"Yes, it is," Kate answered.

"Okay," Lee said. He went to give instructions when Kate grabbed his arm.

"Wait," she ordered. Lee gave her a skeptical look, not understanding what was happening.

"Kate, come on," Dustin urged. "We gotta save her. She'll be so scared."

Then, Kate realized what she was remembering. She was suddenly back there again in that cabin with Lee right before it was set on fire, when she heard the voices outside talking.

_"Is it done? Did you take care of her?" a voice had asked._

_"It will be. Have patience," Mark answered. _

Kate aimed her gun at Dustin's head, furious. How could she have been so blind? So fooled? It was so obvious now that this was how Mark knew she and Lee had survived. Dustin had heard through Emma after their visit, and he had told Mark right away.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dustin yelled, panicked. "Kate, what are you doing?!"

"Kate?" Lee asked, confused.

"It was him," Kate said, her hands shaking a little. "In the mountains. He was with Mark. I heard them talking outside the cabin before he set it on fire."

"W-What?" Dustin stuttered. "What cabin? What mountains? Kate! You've lost your damn mind!"

"Look at him," Kate said. "He has no dirt or mud or blood on his clothes. He has no bruises on him or evidence of torture. Does he look like someone who's been captive to you?"

Lee had to admit, she was very good and very right.

"Kate? Come on," Dustin said weakly as Lee also aimed his gun at him.

"How long have you been working for Mark?" Kate demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Who's Mark?"

"Cut the bullshit!" Kate shouted, making Dustin flinch.

"Kate, I swear. We were kidnapped..."

Kate stepped forward and grabbed a hold of Dustin's collar, making him yelp.

"Where is Emma?" she hissed. "What have you done to her?!"

Dustin kept up the pretense for a little bit longer before yanking out his knife and slashing Kate in the arm, making her let him go and yelp in pain. He then twisted her around and put a gun to her head and an arm around her throat tightly.

"You wanna dance?" he asked Lee, Gunner, Caesar, and Doc.

"Dude, there are four of us and one of you," Caesar commented.

"You might wanna rethink this," Lee added. He could see blood dripping from Kate's arm, and she was grunting from the pain.

"It was just my luck to marry a woman whose sister was with the damn FBI," Dustin went on. "Then she becomes part of a mercenary team that's well known for it's high success rate? No. She had to go."

"You were there," Lee noted.

"I was. I almost got rid of the annoying, pesky sister in law, but alas, she escaped. Not this time, though," Dustin snarled. Kate remembered Lee's advice surrounding choke holds, and she put it to practice. She whipped her head back into his nose, making him cry out as she kicked the pressure point on his leg and grabbed the gun from his hand, stepping away from him.

"I never liked you," Kate said. "You never treated my sister right."

"She was a good cover. That was all I needed," Dustin scoffed.

"Where is she?" Kate demanded.

"You'll never get there in time."

"Where, Dustin? For once in your miserable life, do something decent," she snarled.

"Kiss my ass," Dustin spat. "I don't care what happens to her."

"Maybe you don't, but I do," Kate said. "And one thing's for sure, you are never, _ever_ going to hurt her again."

Dustin's smile widened cruelly.

"You gonna kill me, Kate?" he asked. "Just like you killed Liam? You're good at killing loved ones, aren't you? Emma will never believe that I'm the bad guy. Never. You'll go down as the worst sister ever now that you not only lost Emma's beloved brother but also her doting, loving husband."

Kate knew he was just trying to get into her head. She hadn't killed her brother, she knew that, but she still blamed herself.

"Just shoot the bastard already," Doc said, exasperated.

"Death is too easy," Kate said. "He needs to go to jail." She threw Dustin's gun away and turned to let Gunner bind up Dustin when Dustin drew out his other gun and aimed it at Kate. Lee didn't even hesitate. Neither did the other three. Gunshots flew, and Kate, startled, turned to see Dustin lying on the ground with his second gun in his hand.

"He was aiming at you," Lee told her, seeing her face.

"I don't know how to explain this to Emma," Kate lamented.

"We'll worry about that later," Lee said. "We gotta find her. Now."

"Here," Doc said, approaching her and beginning to wrap her knife wound tightly. Kate hissed in pain at the last knot. "I'll check that out better later."

"Thank you," she said. It matched her wound on her other arm. She was going to look like Lee before she knew it with all the scars and wounds. They all moved forward. Kate hovered for a moment, looking at Dustin one last time. She felt so bad for Emma. Her sister had no idea. She bent down to get Dustin's phone. Then she trotted after the others.

...

Barney and Toll had parked the chopper and stood near the exit of the tunnel on the Mexican side. Not many came out that way. Toll dragged the bodies and hid them after he and Barney had shot them exiting the tunnel once the cartel engaged with them.

"You really think this is gonna work?" Toll asked.

"It has to," Barney answered. He hadn't heard anything from the Lee yet. He hoped they were all right.

...

Graver and Alejandro sat waiting. They had picked a designated area for Lee to bring Mark to where Alejandro would take him out. He had his sniper rifle all set up.

"Nice to see Kate got tougher," Graver noted, breaking the silence.

"Was that our intention?" Alejandro asked.

"Does it matter?"

Alejandro was quiet in response. Kate had gotten caught in the middle of something she shouldn't have been, and here she was again right back in the middle of something that now involved her sister. Alejandro wished she hadn't gotten involved with the Expendable team. Was it too much to ask of her to stay safe for crying out loud? He sighed to himself. Once this was over, he hoped he never had to run into her again and that she would go do something else with her life while she still had one.

...

"Just as I suspected," Kate said, looking at Dustin's phone. It hadn't been difficult to hack into with the help of Thorn from back home. Barney had intentionally left the younger teammates at home for this mission.

"What?" Lee asked.

"He's got a tracker on Emma. Of course he would want to know where she is at all times," Kate growled. "Bad guys like him need to always be one step ahead."

"Does it show where she is now?" Gunner asked.

"Yes, it does," Kate answered. "And we're close."

She held the phone out in front of her as they walked.

"Left," she said suddenly. They all stopped, and Caesar stared at the wall beside them.

"Um, there is no left," he commented.

Kate frowned, but Lee began to tap at the wall and search for a crevice, and he found one. He looked at the others and gave a nod before pushing it in. They burst into a hidden room, and there was shouting and gunfire and cries of pain. When the cartel were all down, Kate focused on the figure in the chair who was screaming. She hurried forward and pulled the hood off of her sister, who was still screaming.

"Emma! It's me," Kate said. "It's all right!"

"Oh my God!" Emma shrieked. "Oh my GOD!"

"It's all right," Kate said again. Lee cut Emma free as Kate tried to calm her sister down.

"Where is Dustin?!" Emma shouted. "What is going on? And where the _hell_ am I?!"

"You're in Mexico," Kate answered. "I'm not sure what is going on yet, and..." She hesitated. Now was not the time. "I don't know where Dustin is."

"They were going to hurt him," Emma whimpered.

"Let's just get you out of here," Kate suggested. "And we will come back for Dustin."

"I'm not leaving without him," Emma said, crossing her arms. Gunshots sounded then, making her scream. Lee and the others jumped into action while Kate covered her sister. Emma screamed again as bullets flew around them.

"This is too hot," Caesar said. "We can't go back out the other way."

"Then we go out the Mexican way," Lee said. "Come on." Doc and Gunner covered them as Kate pushed Emma in front of her while staying behind Lee and Caesar. They reached a point where it was too thick of cartel in front and behind.

"What do we do?" Doc asked. Lee noticed another crack in the wall, and he kicked it. Another door gave way, and Lee saw cars parked.

"We'll go out in that," he gestured. "All of us. We split up and they don't know which one Emma is in."

"You got it."

"Wait, what?!" Emma shrieked as Lee grabbed her hand and ran for the car. Caesar and Doc ran for the jeep, and Gunner headed for the other car. Kate was behind Lee. He put Emma in the passenger seat and turned to face Kate.

"Go with Gunner," he ordered.

"But..."

"She's fine with me. You trust me, right?" Lee asked.

"Of course."

"Then go. I'll see you after."

He gave her a push towards Gunner's car and then gave the undercarriage a quick check for any bombs, and upon seeing none, he jumped into the driver's seat. The others had checked their rides as well.

"Where's the door?" Emma started.

"Right there," Lee pointed, starting the car. He prayed it wasn't a thick door as he sped towards it. Emma screamed again as they crashed through it and out into the sun. The others followed. Emma twisted in her seat to see them.

"Barney?" Lee asked into the comms.

"Yea?"

"I'm coming out in a car. You better get in the air now."

"All right. Meet at a safe point?"

"Yea. I'll let you know where and give you the package."

"Got it."

Lee was thinking quickly.

"Gunner?"

"Yea?"

"Split off. Get Kate out of there. Meet up with Graver and Alejandro."

"Ok."

"Caesar?"

"I'm here."

"Cover Gunner and Kate."

"What about you?"

"I've got this," Lee answered. He knew Kate would be furious, but he didn't care.

"You sure?"

"We do not have time to argue about this," Lee said, looking in his rear view mirror. Two cars were now on their heels. Two more were coming.

"All right. Good luck," Caesar said. Both he and Gunner turned in a different direction and sped off. Lee swerved and dodged on the road as they flew. Emma was holding on to the door handle for dear life. She screamed every time bullets hit them. Lee looked in his rear view mirror again to see two cars still chasing after him even after all his evasive maneuvers.

"Hang on," he told Emma, who obliged. She kept her eyes squeezed shut. Lee floored it, knowing that time was of the essence. He reached for his gun, hoping that Emma was as good of a shot as her sister.

"Hey," he said, nudging her. "I need you to fire back."

"What? No way!" she shouted, recoiling.

"Emma, I can't shoot them and drive. You can do this."

"I've never even fired a gun!"

"It's easy. You aim and pull the trigger. Aim for the windshield or their tires."

"I can't."

"You can," Lee said firmly, looking at her. "I can't outrun them, and we need to lose them."

Emma stared at him, her one hand gripping the edge of her seat. She knew he was right, but she was terrified. She eventually took the gun carefully from him.

"Aim it out the window and shoot," he instructed. Emma's breathing was erratic and panicked, but she rolled down her window and stuck her head out. She squeezed the trigger once, twice, and the car behind them swerved to avoid her shots.

_It's just like Duck Hunt,_ Liam's voice said in her head suddenly. _Get the duck, Emmy. You can do it._

"Get the duck," she muttered. "Okay." She closed one of her eyes and tried again.

"You got 'im!" Lee crowed, seeing the car flip and roll after one of the tires got shot out. Emma grinned to herself. So this was why Kate enjoyed this so much. There was something exhilarating about it after all. She aimed for the second car, but she kept missing.

"I can't get him," she said, coming back into the car.

"It's all right," Lee reassured her. "One car I can deal with." He took the gun from her and flipped the car into reverse, firing out the window as fast as he could. The car's windshield shattered, and Emma saw blood spatter on the inside of it, making her want to throw up. The car eventually stopped, and Lee turned theirs around again before gunning it. He knew it was only a matter of time before more showed up behind them. He thought quickly.

"I'm going to drop you off here," he said.

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"Barney is in one of the choppers. He will grab you here. They'll still think you're with me, and I need them to think that if we're going to pull this off," Lee explained.

"But..."

Lee stopped the car. There was a pile of large rocks on the side of the hill.

"Hide there," Lee ordered. "I'll update Barney. Keep this on you." He handed her a GPS that Barney had the other end for.

"What if they find me?" she asked, afraid.

"They won't. Hurry up," Lee said. Emma got out of the car reluctantly. She didn't want to leave Lee and be alone and vulnerable, but she also knew he had a point.

"Be careful," she said.

"I will. Here," he said, handing her the second gun. "Just in case. Barney looks like a rather grumpy Italian man."

"Okay."

"Basically, shoot only when shot at," Lee advised. "Now go!" He pulled away, leaving Emma to rush over to the cover of the rocks. She prayed that Barney got there quickly.

"She's got the GPS on her," Lee said to Barney over the phone as he drove. "I'm going to flush out Mark now."

"All right. Be careful."

"Yea," Lee answered. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. Mark was going to be a goner very soon.

...

Kate was indeed furious at Lee. When Gunner had turned away, she had yelled at him, but the big man simply ignored her. They had managed to take out the two cars that chased them, and they arrived to where Graver and Alejandro were set up. Kate got out and slammed the door hard when Gunner stopped.

"I was just following orders," Gunner said to her as he got out himself.

Kate didn't reply. She marched towards where Alejandro was set up.

"Are we sure this is going to work?" Kate asked. She knew Lee was supposed to lure out Mark, and Alejandro was going to take him out with his sniper rifle. She was just very angry that he was now doing it without her help or anyone's help for that matter. Lee had just let Graver know he was on his way, who had told Alejandro. Kate was looking at him expectantly, and Alejandro looked back at her calmly.

"It'll work," Alejandro answered, looking through his scope again, waiting. He wouldn't miss. He couldn't afford to.

...

Emma heard the chopper and dared to look. When it landed, she saw two men get out. One was the grumpy looking Italian man Lee had described, and the other was a burly, shaved headed Caucasian man.

"Emma?" the one called.

"Are you Barney?" she asked. She held out the gun in front of her. Barney held up his hands.

"Yes," he answered.

"I need I.D.," she told him. The second guy laughed out loud.

"Darlin', I don't have time for this. We gotta go now," Barney responded. Emma looked back and forth between the two men. She had mistrust for some reason.

"And who are you?" she asked the second man.

"I'm Toll," he answered. She blinked. Toll? That was the guy Kate had been dating.

"Come on, Emma," Barney urged.

"I'm keeping the gun," she said as she took a step towards them.

"Fine," Barney agreed. "Now hurry up."

Toll helped Emma onto into the helicopter and got in and sat beside her.

"You all right?" he asked her.

"I think so."

"We'll get you out of here safely. I promise," Toll said. Emma gave him a small smile back. He seemed nice.

"Hang on," Barney said, and they were up in the air.

...

Right on time, Mark appeared behind Lee. He knew it was Mark because the car was a lot fancier than the others chasing him. His radio came on.

"Hey, asshole. Did you really think you could escape me again?" Mark's voice asked.

"I'm surprised you keep trying to kill me," Lee commented. "It obviously doesn't work."

"This time it will," Mark promised.

"You can try."

Lee ripped the radio off then, not wanting to hear the man's voice anymore. Instead, he contacted Gunner.

"She mad?"

"Furious."

"Put her on."

There was a pause until Kate herself had Gunner's comms.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked angrily. "You said we work as a team! And here you are doing a lone wolf stunt."

"Emma's with Barney," Lee told her. "I'm alone in the car."

"It's you I'm scared for, you idiot," Kate retorted. "I knew you would get Emma to safety."

"I'll be fine."

Kate sighed deeply, and Lee knew her forehead would be creased with worry and her fingers would be itching for a cigarette.

"If this doesn't work..."

"It'll work," Lee cut her off.

"Well, Gunner, Doc, and Caesar have gone to implement plan B if it doesn't."

"It'll work," Lee repeated.

"I love you," she said. He smiled to himself. Of course she would say it. He knew she thought she'd never see him again. A part of him worried about this same thought.

"I'm not saying it back," he responded.

"I know."

"I'll say it when this is over."

"Okay."

...

"Here he comes," Kate said, seeing Lee's car come into view. Another car was on his heels. Mark. Alejandro adjusted his sniper rifle accordingly. Just as he was about to fire, Lee's car tire was hit by Mark's bullets, and the car was sent flying.

"No!" Kate shouted. Alejandro got the target back in sight and fired. The second car went flying driverless into the desert. Kate was already on her feet running, so Alejandro raced after her.

"LEE!" Kate screamed as the car kept flipping and rolling until it finally stopped upside down. "LEE!"

Graver and his men were rushing towards the car as well. Alejandro knew they wouldn't have long when it burst into flames. Graver knew this too, so he grabbed Kate before she could get near it.

"No!" she shouted, kicking and fighting to get loose. "Lee!"

"It's gonna blow," Graver told her, pulling her back. "It's too late."

"No, it's not! LEE!"

Alejandro hated hearing the anguish in her voice. As Graver and another agent pulled Kate away, he moved steadily towards the car.

"Gillick! What the hell are you doing?!" Graver yelled. His voice was muffled and far away to Alejandro. He neared the car, grateful the glass was already broken upon impact. It saved time. Then he pulled out his knife. He saw Lee unconscious in the seat, still strapped in. He crawled in and began to cut away at the seat belt, knowing time was of the essence. He winced as Lee fell onto the roof of the car heavily. Alejandro hadn't been able to catch him, but it would have been awkward to do so anyway.

"Come on," he muttered, dragging Lee towards the window carefully. He could sense his time was running out. He finally managed to pull Lee out of the window and out onto the sand.

"GILLICK, HURRY THE HELL UP!" Graver was shouting. Alejandro lifted Lee up fireman style and took six running steps away from the car just as it blew up. They were both thrown up into the air, and then it went black.

...

"Oh my God!" Kate shouted, free from Graver at this point, and ran towards the two bodies. Graver was on her heels. She could hear emergency services being called down now, but she didn't care. All she cared about was Lee. She skidded to a stop where he lay, and she flipped him over.

"Lee!" she cried, smacking his face with her hands rapidly. "Come on, wake up!"

"Gillick," Graver said. "Come on, now." Kate ignored him.

"Lee," she said again. His face was bleeding, and she was pretty sure his ribs would be damaged again if not more so than last time.

"F***," Graver swore. "He's hit."

Kate looked to see shrapnel sticking out of Alejandro's back from the blast. She swallowed.

"MEDICS!" Graver bellowed. Kate went back to Lee.

"Please wake up," she begged. "Please."

Lee cracked open an eye at this point, causing her to start to cry from relief.

"What happened?" he asked. He turned his head to see Alejandro still unconscious beside him.

"He saved your life," she answered.

"Hurry the hell up!" Graver was yelling, waving in the medics, who had been on standby in the air, waiting. They bent to assess the situation.

"Is he all right?" Lee asked.

"I don't know," Kate answered honestly. Lee sat up slowly, wincing at the pain he was in. Kate rested her head against his as he held her close to him, grateful he was alive. She hadn't expected Alejandro to risk his life like that. Even though she was still angry at him, she hoped he would be all right. Graver was walking with the medics now as they headed for the helicopter, carrying the stretcher board with Alejandro on it.

"Hey," Lee said, resting his hand on her cheek. "I love you."

Kate gave a half laugh, half sob at this. He had kept his promise to say it when it was over.

"Sir," the other medic said, looking at Lee now. "Let me have a look at you."

"I'm fine," Lee dismissed.

"Let me at least check," the medic insisted.

"All right."

"He's got broken ribs from a previous incident," Kate told the medic, ratting Lee out. "Check those."

"I'm really fine," Lee insisted, but he was ignored.

Kate barely felt present as Lee was checked over. Her eyes followed Alejandro's body, and she had a really bad feeling when the helicopter doors shut behind him.

...

Barney assessed the situation below him as he landed. Lee looked hurt, and the medic chopper was flying away at top speed. He brought his chopper down carefully, shutting it off. Emma jumped out before Toll, spying Kate.

"Kate!" Emma shouted, rushing to hug her sister tightly. She was crying.

"Em," Kate said, embracing her tightly. Emma choked and sobbed.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I really am."

"It's all right."

"No, it's not. I was hurtful to you, and you didn't deserve that."

"I did deserve it for ignoring you our entire lives."

"I was just jealous for what you had with Liam, that's all. I'm really sorry. Can we be sisters again?" Emma asked, pleading.

"We never stopped being sisters," Kate answered, smiling at her. Emma hugged her again.

"Where is Dustin? Did you find him?" Emma asked. Kate hesitated. This was the hardest part.

"Dustin as in Dustin Bradley?" Barney asked, overhearing. Emma nodded.

"That son of a bitch was involved," Barney told her.

"W-What?" Emma asked, shocked. She felt dizzy. Kate held her to keep her upright.

"Drummer sent these over," Barney said, handing her a file. Kate felt relieved that it was Barney breaking the news to her and not Kate. Emma took the files and opened them. She gasped the more she read.

"Oh my God."

"Emma, I'm so sorry," Kate started.

"I don't believe this," Emma said. "That rat bastard!"

Kate was surprised to see anger rather than tears and freaking out.

"Where is he?" Emma asked.

"He's dead," Lee answered.

"What?"

"We found him in the tunnels," Lee lied. "Seems like maybe Mark double crossed him."

Emma didn't really know how to take this news, but a part of her felt she always knew something just wasn't always right with her husband. This explained a lot.

"And here I thought he was having an affair with all those late hours," Emma sighed. She rubbed her face.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked.

"I will be," Emma answered. "I have to be." She had a faraway look in her eyes now.

"You good?" Barney asked Lee at this point, who nodded.

"Minor injuries."

"You should still get them looked at."

"I know. That's where I'm headed," Lee snorted. They both looked at Emma and Kate talking.

"At least they've reconciled," Barney noted. Lee had told him all about it via texting back when he had been in London.

"Yea," Lee nodded.

"I think Toll likes her," Barney said.

"Seriously?"

"Yea."

Lee started to laugh, and Barney soon joined in. Kate looked over at them, puzzled.

"What's so funny?" she asked. Her arm was around Emma, who was wiping at her eyes.

"I'll explain later," Lee answered, going over to her. "I gotta go get fixed up at the hospital."

"I should get checked too," Emma agreed, avoiding Kate's eyes.

"Why? What happened?" Kate asked.

"Nothing. I'm just being precautious," Emma answered. Kate worried that Mark had done something to her sister. She was glad he was dead or else she'd have to kill him.

"I'll fly us in," Barney said. They headed towards the chopper, and Kate wondered if Alejandro would be at the same hospital.

...

Alejandro opened his eyes and immediately noticed he was in a hospital room. He blinked and groaned. The pain in his back was brutal, but he assessed his movement, and all his fingers and toes moved, so he wasn't paralyzed. He turned his head and gave a start when he saw Kate sitting there.

"Shit," he said, wincing from the pain of the jolt. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't die," Kate answered.

"That's nice of you."

"And to thank you," Kate went on, ignoring him, "for saving Lee. You didn't have to risk your life, but you did. I'm just confused as to why."

"He is important to you," Alejandro said. "It's the least I could do after what we put you through."

"I'm surprised you even care about what you did to me or even recognize that you hurt me."

"I'm not a total animal, Kate," Alejandro sighed.

"Well, you're alive, so I am going to go now," Kate said, standing. He looked up at her, noticing she wasn't done.

"What?" he asked.

"Do you wish you hadn't lived? So that you could be with your family again?" she asked. Alejandro thought about this for a moment.

"No," he shook his head. "I'm not done here yet."

"I see," she said. "Well, best of luck with that."

"Thanks."

She gave a firm smile before turning and leaving the room. He was pretty sure he'd never see her again.

* * *

**One more chapter to go!**


	18. You & Me

Kate approached Emma, who was sitting in the waiting room alone. Barney and the others were out getting something to eat. Lee was waiting to get discharged, but Kate knew he was all right for the moment.

"You okay?" Kate asked Emma. Her sister had her hand on her belly and was staring at the wall. Kate felt a flicker of surprise. Could it be?

"It's funny how you think life is going to go," Emma said absently. "Then something happens that changes everything, and you're left wondering what the whole point of living even is."

"I should have noticed Dustin was a shady character," Kate told her. "I'm sorry."

"You should have? Kate, I was living with him," Emma scoffed. "If anyone should have noticed, it should have been me."

"Well, it's no one's fault but his," Kate offered.

"Do you know that my last words to Liam were out of anger?" Emma asked, changing the subject. Kate was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"He was lecturing me on my choices in men and that I should be going to college. I called him an ignorant SOB and a hypocrite since he never went to college. He had signed up for war, and he was lecturing me, so I said to him, 'wasn't that an easy out?' I called him an asshole and a jerk. Then he went to get his damn cigarettes, and he never came back." Emma's voice cracked near the end, and she put her hand over her face to hide her tears.

"Oh, Em," Kate said, putting her arm around her sister. She'd had no idea.

"I didn't go to college, Kate," Emma went on, sniffing. "And I married a bad choice of a man."

"It's never too late for college..."

"I can't now, Kate. I'm pregnant," Emma said bluntly.

"You...you're pregnant?" Kate repeated. So it was true. She hadn't imagined it.

"Yes. I'm going to be a single mother. My life is a downright train wreck," Emma cried.

"It's not," Kate argued. "You've got us."

"Who? Mum and Dad? They're still stricken with grief that they can't function properly. Grace? She's somewhere on this planet where we can't even reach her..."

"And me? What's wrong with me?" Kate asked.

"You were the last person to see Liam alive. You had the relationship with him that I always wanted. I'm jealous of you," Emma finished. "I sometimes can't even look at you without seeing him because you even look like him. And your new boyfriend, he looks a lot like Liam too. His name is even similar! That doesn't help."

"Lee does not look like Liam..."

"He does a little."

"No, he doesn't."

"I just feel alone, Kate. I'm alone."

"You are not alone, though," Kate argued. "You're doing that to yourself. We are here for you. You just have to let us in."

Emma didn't say anything else. She just sat there thinking.

"Hey," Lee said, approaching them. They both looked up at him.

"They released you?" Kate asked.

"Yea. I'm on strict bed rest until my ribs properly heal," Lee sighed. "Apparently I'm lucky to be alive."

"Okay, well, I will make sure that happens," Kate told him with a smile. Lee smirked back. He knew what she had in mind.

"I'm going to fly home," Emma said then. "Thank you both for rescuing me. I'm sorry my douchey dead husband almost got us all killed." She stood and made to leave when Kate caught a hold of her hand.

"You are not going anywhere," she said. "You are gonna need some support after what just happened."

"I do not need to impose on you..."

"You're not. I'm asking," Kate interrupted. "It's the least I can do to start showing you that I do care about you, Emma."

"All right," Emma caved, but Kate could tell she was looking for Kate to ask her to stay to start with. "Can we not tell Mum and Dad right now what's happened?"

"Deal."

...

A few days later, in the middle of the night, Kate left a sleeping Emma at her apartment and made her way over to Lee's. She dodged the cat when she crept inside. He had left the door unlocked for her. She easily found his room and slid under the covers with him.

"I thought you'd forgotten about me," he teased, putting his arms around her as she pushed herself into him.

"I didn't want Emma to think I was abandoning her," Kate explained.

"She doing okay?"

"She has a lot of ups and downs, but that's to be expected."

"I'm sure she appreciates you being there."

"I hope so," Kate sighed. "How are you doing?"

"Much better now," he answered, kissing her.

"I'm serious, Lee," she laughed.

"All right. Honestly? I've been bored out of my damn mind. I don't do bed rest," Lee complained.

"Well, it's to help you heal," Kate pointed out.

"I can do that sitting up. I can do that while working," he argued.

"No, you can't," she laughed again. He groaned in frustration.

"Another two weeks of this is going to kill me," he told her.

"It takes longer than that to heal broken ribs, especially broken ribs that got damaged again immediately after," Kate reasoned.

"Yes, but I'm allowed to at least move around in two weeks and not lie here like an idiot," Lee explained.

"Hmm. I see."

"I'm not getting any sympathy from you, am I?" he asked.

"No, sorry. You're only gonna find it in the dictionary," she teased. He closed his eyes and groaned again.

"And here I thought you loved me..."

"Oh, don't you dare," she said, faking outrage. She gave his shoulder a light shove, and he laughed. Then it turned into kissing.

"You're starting to look like me," he said as he examined all her battle scars she'd gotten in the past while.

"Is that a good thing?" she teased.

"I don't know. You tell me," he answered. She playfully fought with him for a bit instead of answering, both of them laughing. It felt so good to just be there with him without worrying about something bad happening.

...

Three days later, they were all at Tool's place, and Kate had brought Emma. She knew her sister needed to get out and start trying to have some normalcy in her life again.

"I thought you were on strict bed rest?" Barney asked when he saw Lee.

"You're not gonna tell on me, are you?" Lee countered.

"I couldn't keep him down," Kate answered. "He's too restless."

"That doesn't surprise me," Barney chuckled. Lee sat down on the couch and put himself in a semi-horizontal position.

"Happy now?" he asked.

Kate watched Emma as the others continued to jest with Lee and pick on him. She looked out of place.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I don't know anymore," Emma answered truthfully. Kate empathized. She had listened to Emma talk about Dustin for the past few days, going around in a circle beating herself up for not figuring it out sooner. Kate hoped she would stop soon. She knew it was going to destroy her after a while, and her sister deserved better than that.

"Hey," Toll said, approaching them. Kate still felt a little awkward around him, but it was getting better. She did notice that Toll seemed to have taken a shine to her sister.

"Hi," Emma said back. Was her cheeks going red? Kate peered at her sister closely. What was going on here?

"Can I get you anything?" Toll asked.

"Um, water is good," Emma answered.

"Water coming up," Toll smiled, going to get her some. Kate caught Barney watching, and she knew from his expression that he had seen it too. She thought back to Mexico and how Lee and Barney had been laughing about something while looking at Emma. Lee hadn't told her what that had been about in the end, but she was getting a pretty good idea now.

"So, that's Toll?" Emma asked, breaking Kate out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Yea," she nodded.

"How long did you date him?"

"Just a little while. Not long."

"I see."

"Do you...do you like him?" Kate asked, incredulous.

"What? No!" Emma said quickly. "I'm freshly widowed after all. Geez, Kate."

"Emma..."

"Okay, so my marriage was over months ago because I was so sure he'd been cheating, and I'm not totally convinced he wasn't," Emma sighed. "It was only a matter of time before we divorced. The baby just happened, and I didn't know what to do. I was going to just stick it out, but I wasn't happy."

"I really wish you had told me," Kate lamented.

"You were busy, and I didn't want you to tell Mum or Dad," Emma shrugged. "It is what it is."

"Here you go," Toll said, coming back and handing her a glass.

"Thanks," she smiled sweetly at him.

Kate managed to keep her mouth shut. She went over to sit with Lee, leaving Emma talking to Toll.

"Yea, about that..." Lee started when she gave him a look after catching him noticing Toll with Emma.

"Is that what you were laughing about with Barney?" she asked accusingly.

"Yea," he nodded. "Barney picked it up pretty fast."

"I don't know how to feel about it," Kate admitted.

"Because you still like Toll?" Lee asked, afraid for a moment.

"No, because it's my sister," she answered. "She usually likes the dweeby guys, you know? Guys like Dustin."

"And look where that got her," Lee pointed out. "Toll would never hurt her like that."

"I know," Kate agreed. "Toll is a wonderful guy."

"Ahem," Lee coughed.

"As are you," she said, pinching him playfully.

"It's nice to hear it is all," Lee smiled innocently.

"How do you think he's going to react when he finds out she's pregnant?" Kate asked him. Lee choked on his beer.

"She's what?" he asked, astounded.

"Oh, sorry. Did I forget to mention that to you?" Kate asked, imitating his innocent tone. He gave her a shove, making her laugh. Doc and Tool were up now, having a knife throwing contest. Caesar and Gunner were egging them on. Toll was showing Emma a book of some sort. Barney was just standing there and watching them all. He met Lee's eyes and gave a grin, making Lee grin back. Things were good. How long it would stay that way was anyone's guess, but it wasn't worth worrying about. Each day was a gift; the best thing to do with it was just live.

**9 Months Later**

"Where. Is. Toll?!" Emma panted, her voice getting higher pitched with each word.

"He's coming," Kate promised. "He'll be here."

"Emma, you have to push," the doctor was saying.

"He can't miss this," Emma was crying now.

Kate was going to kill Toll for not getting his ass there on time. After that night at Tool's, Toll and Emma had become friends and then not to long after that, they started dating. Kate knew he had a ring already, which kind of surprised her but not Lee. Toll was waiting until after the baby before proposing.

"Emma?!" Toll's voice shouted in the hallway.

"IN HERE!" Emma bellowed. The doors burst open, and Toll skidded in.

"Did I miss it?" he asked. Kate winced at the state of him. He had fresh cuts on his face. They had returned from a mission it seemed.

"Almost," Emma grunted.

"Push, darlin', push," the doctor urged.

"You got this?" Kate asked Toll. She did not want to witness the rest of it. She was feeling faint, oddly enough.

"One of you has to go," the doctor said.

"Good luck," Kate said to Toll, patting his shoulder. She made a face and wiped her hand on her pant leg as she walked out. She didn't even want to know what he was covered in. She rounded the corner to see Barney and the rest of the team sitting in the waiting room still in their work gear.

"Well, aren't you lot a sorry looking bunch," she commented, crossing her arms and grinning at them.

"You'd look like shit too if you'd just been where we were," Gunner told her. Lee went over to hug and kiss her.

"Ah, don't touch me like that," she protested.

"You love it," he countered, doing it anyway.

"We missed you," Barney said.

"Well, someone had to be here for Emma," Kate noted.

"He didn't miss it," Barney argued. "I kept my word."

"Barely," Kate commented.

"We landed on fumes," Caesar commented. "He didn't even stop for fuel."

"She doing okay?" Lee asked.

Emma's sudden, blood curdling scream echoed down the hall, making Kate wince.

"I'd like to say yes," she answered.

"I do not envy women for that," Caesar said, shuddering.

"She's wasting energy," Barney stated. "They shouldn't be letting her scream like that."

"You can't really tell my sister what to do," Kate replied. After about ten more minutes, Toll came out beaming.

"Well, she didn't kill you, so that's a good sign," Doc commented.

"We got a boy," Toll said, ignoring Doc.

Everyone went to hug and congratulate him while Kate stood having mixed feelings. She wished Liam could be there. He'd never get to be an uncle.

"He's watching," Lee said in her ear, knowing she was thinking this.

"I know," she said back. He squeezed her hand in his.

"What's his name?" Barney asked.

"Liam," Toll answered, looking at Kate, who burst into a fresh batch of tears.

"Aw, love," Lee said, pulling her into a hug.

"She wants to see you," Toll went on. Kate wiped at her eyes and pulled away from Lee, nodding. She went to Emma's room and found her sister sitting up in the bed holding her little bundle.

"Hey," she said. "You did it."

"Felt like I was getting ripped in half," Emma joked. "But yes, I did it."

"Liam?" Kate asked.

"It just seemed right," Emma answered, tearing up with Kate. "Liam Nicholas Macer."

"Nicholas?" Kate questioned. Emma blushed a little.

"Toll's real name," she explained.

"What?!"

"He prefers Nick, though."

"I can't believe he told you his real name," Kate said, feeling a bit put out.

"It took a long time, but I made it clear that I'm not going to call him Toll Road to our parents," Emma said. Kate started to laugh, and Emma did too. Baby Liam started to fuss then.

"Congratulations, sister," Kate said, giving Emma's forehead a kiss. "I'll leave you to it."

"Emmy?"

They both turned to see a woman standing in the doorway.

"Grace?!" Kate exclaimed.

"Hi," Grace smiled. She moved to hug Kate tightly before going to hug Emma and coo at the baby.

"How did you hear?" Emma asked, shocked to see their other sister.

"Mum," Grace answered simply. "They're outside waiting, by the way. There's also some sort of black ops team in the waiting room too."

"Ah," Kate said. So much for keeping Lee's job under wraps. Her mother would be asking him a million questions right now.

"You better go do damage control," Emma told her, realizing the same thing.

"I'm on it," Kate promised, leaving Grace with Emma. She found her parents sitting as far away from Barney and the team. Lee had disappeared.

"Hello, dear," Leah said, getting up to greet Kate. "Are these your...friends?"

"Yes," Kate answered.

"I see."

"We're gonna be on our way," Barney said. "Congrats again."

"Thanks," Kate smiled. She was glad Lee had been smart enough to not let her parents see him. Toll, however, came out of the bathroom in a white t-shirt but still in his combat pants. You couldn't really tell, though, unless you knew what you were looking for. He'd cleaned himself up too.

"Hi, I'm Nick," Toll said, moving to shake Oliver and Leah's hands.

"So you're Nick," Leah said, gushing. "Emma has talked a lot about you."

Kate slipped away and found Lee leaning against the wall around the corner.

"That was close," he commented. She moved in to kiss him, and he put his arms around her.

"One day," she said.

"Or never," he replied.

"That too," she laughed.

"Does the baby look like Toll?" Lee teased.

"No, but he doesn't really look like Dustin either, thank God," Kate said. "He looks like...Liam."

"Imagine that."

"Emma is working on coming to the US permanently," Kate said to him, her face tucked into the crook of his neck.

"That'll make Toll happy. The commute has been hard on him."

"My parents are sad, but they understand."

Lee didn't say anything else. He had been thinking about the whole marriage thing himself. He hadn't brought it up to Kate as he didn't know where she stood on it.

"Did you know Toll's real name is Nick?"

"What?" he laughed.

"Yea. Nicholas, to be exact."

"That is like an early Christmas gift to me," Lee said. "You have no idea."

"Don't be too hard on him."

"Spoil my fun," he joked. She looked up at him then, serious. He sobered up.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he replied.

She smiled and kissed him gently. Lee held onto the conversation about their future for another day. He felt pretty good about it.

"Yes!" Emma's shriek came just then, making them both jump. "Oh my God, yes!"

"He asked her," Lee deduced.

"I'm so happy he found someone," Kate said.

"Me too."

"Go change," she said to him then. "So you can at least say hello to my parents."

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned. Kate watched him go, and she felt at peace for the first time in a long time. It was a good feeling, and she never wanted to lose it.

**One Year Later**

Kate was out of breath from running, and she knew she had to get her wound looked at. She had fought with a guy pretty hard, but she had won in the end. They were somewhere in Europe, and they were almost done their mission.

"Lee?" she said into the comms.

"I'm here," he answered.

"I'm hit," she said. A few short minutes later, Lee was right next to her.

"Where?" he asked. She showed him, lifting up her shirt. The blade hadn't gone in deep, but it was enough to leave a scar.

"Bad?" she questioned.

"Bad enough," he answered. "You really are trying to look like me." He set to work on patching it.

"No offense, but I don't want to look like you," she commented. She barely felt him working on it, that was how much adrenaline she was feeling right now.

"You hurt my feeling," he said, faking outrage. It was a joke between them that he only had one feeling, not multiple.

"You'll get over it," she promised. He laughed and finished off the bandage, pulling her shirt back down.

"Good to go?" he asked. Kate had been thinking about something for a while, and this mission was really making her think that life was short. There had been a few close calls, a few too many in her opinion.

"Will you marry me?" she asked. He stared at her, trying to process what she had just said.

"What?" he countered.

"Is that a no?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm being very serious," she nodded.

"In the middle of a huge fight, you're thinking about marriage," he clarified.

"Yes," she nodded again. "So, will you or won't you?"

"Isn't it my job to ask that question?" he asked. He had been wanting to. He'd even asked Oliver first. He was just waiting for the right moment. This did not seem like it, but Kate obviously thought otherwise.

"Not necessarily, but if you feel that strongly about it, then ask me," she urged.

"Well...you kind of ruined it..."

"How did I ruin it?"

"Guys?" Barney's voice asked through the comms. "What are you doing?"

"It just doesn't feel right now since you asked first," Lee commented. He ducked a bullet, and both he and Kate fired back and took down their opponents easily.

"Forget I asked," Kate told him after.

"Kind of hard to."

"Lee!"

"Hey!" Barney shouted now. "Enough chit chat and get back to the battle at hand here!"

"I'm in the middle of something," Lee replied. Kate was looking at him expectantly.

"You were saying?" she prodded.

"I had this all planned out, you know," Lee said. "I had a speech and everything."

"You did?"

"Yea."

"Will you either say yes or do the damn proposal yourself already?!" Barney yelled.

"This is not how I planned it," Lee told her.

"I don't care," she said. "This is perfect. To me."

"Okay," Lee caved. "I don't have the ring..."

"You can give it to me later."

"LEE!" Barney bellowed.

"Kate, I love you so damn much," Lee started. "Right from day one. Nobody's ever made me feel this way like you do. Never. I will spend forever loving you, if you'll let me. Kate, will you marry me?"

"If she doesn't say yes..." Barney started.

"SHUT UP!" the others all yelled at once. They had been listening too. Lee and Kate started to laugh.

"Hell, yes, I'll marry you," she answered.

"Woohoooo!" Caesar shouted.

"About time," Toll said.

"Sally like," Doc commented.

"Coulda been more romantic in that speech, Lee," Gunner said.

"Can we get back to war now?" Barney asked.

Lee finished kissing Kate while the voices babbled on in their ears.

"Now are you good to go?" he asked her.

"Yea," she nodded, grinning. "I'm definitely good to go."

Together, they leaped back out into battle, and together, they'd make it through because that is what they did best. After all, they were a pair of Expendable hearts.

**The End**

* * *

**Thank you to those who reviewed, followed, and favorited! A big thank you to quicksilver123 for always reviewing these past few chapters. Stay tuned for my new story: Expendables on the Edge. Also, if you haven't read them already, you might enjoy my Expendable crossovers with The Devil Wears Prada: The Devil's Assistant is Expendable and Strangers in the Hospital and my Expendable crossovers with Edge of Tomorrow: Edge of Expendable (4 story series). Until next time!**


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